


A Dragon's Tail (Tale)

by DragonRose35



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Dragons, Explicit Language, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies Relationship, Kylon's POV, M/M, Male Slash, Original Language - Dondasu, Original Planet - Hiro, POV First Person, Shifters, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-22 16:38:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7446241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonRose35/pseuds/DragonRose35
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kylon is a young dragon, a rare breed that can choose between dragon and human forms, and a rare dragon species altogether. He used to be alone in the world, without his family and without a place to call his own... until, that is, he found the Corophy Dragon Farms, owned by a cruel man named Diro Gord. During his stay he meets Suri Killian- the human he finds himself developing a crush on that soon turns into full blown love, Frayn- a dragon he comes to call his best friend, Gio Monteri- a human with a hot temper that Kylon comes to love as a brother, and many, many others.</p><p>But just when Kylon thought he was finally settling in and making his place in the farm, with a family he could call his own, things get a little shaken up and it puts a strain on everything he knew and held dear to him. Can he get through it all? With the help of his mate- the human he loves that just might love him back- and his /family/- including Gio and his friends- he just might be able to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: While also another story originally posted on FictionPress, I'm going to leave this one marked blank, if that's alright with you guys. *smiles*
> 
> And just to let you know, there is a sequel to this in progress. Though it's more of a series, in progress. *chuckles*
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> ~ D.C. (Wolf)

I want to tell you a little story. A story about a young dragon- an outcast- who had the rare ability to shift from dragon to human. A story about how this young dragon finds his place in the world he lives, on Hiro- a planet of magic and myth and legend that had once belonged only to the dragons that claimed the planet as their own. Until humans, exiled from Earth, found the planet and conned the dragons of old into sharing their world with them- and how he finally found his mate, among the humans and dragons that despised him.

Who is that dragon, you ask? Well… he's me.

My name is Kylon and I'm a shifter- a human that can shift into a dragon or a dragon that can shift into a human, I don't know. The truth is, I'm not proud of what I am- my dragon form is small, in comparison to the other mighty beasts of the desert in which I live, and my human form is no different. As a dragon- a Nightwing, or a Darkscale as people of the northern and western regions call me- I'm covered in black scales as hard as stone and fur as soft as cotton, my wings are small as well and are covered in feathers perhaps even softer than my fur; but as a human- an Alumira, the last of my people after they were all slaughtered in front of me as a hatchling- I'm what most would call fair, with pale skin despite the constant sun in the blazing desert I roam, hair that shines like silver-gold and eyes like blue crystal. But, rather than having rounded ears like most humans, mine had a slight point to them, a small detail that told me apart from the rest.

At least until mating season came around, but I'm getting off topic...

My mother called me her 'y'alo sui drako'- it meant 'special little dragon' in my language, Dondasu, a language dead to all but a few- but I never thought of myself as so special. I never thought I was ever the dragon she always said I was- a Nightwing, I mean. A dragon so rare and so special only one exists in the entire world. She told me I was that dragon… but what proof did she ever have that I wasn't just some pathetic little beast nobody cared about? None.

But when she died, I tried to keep what she said close to my heart. Because in the end, that was all I had left: her belief that I was truly someone special.

But my story doesn't start there, it starts a few years after I finally managed to get a job working as a dragon caretaker on a dragon farm- the Corophy Dragon Farms- that was owned by a man named Diro Gord. The dragon farms were great, I'll admit, but there were a few things I didn't like about them- including how they often put dragons inside cages or even leashed them- and Diro, specifically, made working there a bit more difficult. He had a temper the size of a Sand Queen- a massive desert dragon that ruled the sands- and to top it all off, he didn't like me very much- something I couldn't help but find not so surprising, given he knew what and who I was. I tried not to let it bother me though- I was used to how people treated me, and I suppose I was only grateful he hadn't fired me yet from the job.

Hiro isn't like Earth though, I want you to know that. The nights are long and the days even more so- forty six hours marks a full day, with thirty hours during the day and sixteen during the night. But it wasn't so bad. Living on Hiro, you find there are plenty of things to keep you occupied and the day is long enough that you manage to sleep through the entire night if you want to. And if you didn't, Hiro's three moons- Acou, Shiji, and Mona- would be able to keep you company.

You probably want to hear the story now though, don't you?

Well, I have to start somewhere, so let me start here- on a bright, cheerful, sunny morning on the dragon farms.


	2. Chapter One

"Kylon! Get up!" Hearing the gruff, sharp voice that belonged to my employer, Diro, I was woken up from a rather pleasant dream- one that I am ashamed to admit involved a mate that I currently do not have. It was enough to make me cranky, if it weren't for the fact that the reason Diro had to be waking me up meant- "You're on duty." Cracking one eye open, I managed a grin before flinching when Diro left with a sharp bang to the wall of the cabin, just outside the door.

Pulling the blanket off of myself, I stretched out in the bed with a little groan of relief, before sitting up and I made to get ready for the day.

Moving to the wash bin, I washed my hair, face, and hands before deciding to get dressed in new clothes. Once done with that, I moved to the door and left the cabin, picking up the bucket and the brush as soon as the door shut behind me. Diro was just disappearing into the stables by the time I came outside and I was quick to follow him, stopping by the water pump to fill the bucket with both water from the pump and soap from the container beside it.

"Colt!" Wincing when I heard Diro again, I scrambled into the stables, taking a moment's pause to take in the scent that I so dearly loved- the one of my fellow dragon kin- before spotting Diro- the man was taller than you would expect, with how old he is, and had dark red hair that hardly looked brushed and dark, near black eyes- next to the stable marked by runes that told me exactly who was in there. Jadera- a word that, surprising to me, meant Jade in Dondasu- was a small, but beautiful crimson dragon with sharp scales and a fierce temper- one that, when paired with her sharp fangs or claws, was rather dangerous. "Don't dally, Kylon," Diro scowled, expression hard and stern, and I only ducked my head as he passed me by, heading out of the stables.

Finally relaxing, I walked over to Jadera's stable and smiled at her, as she blinked sleepy jade colored eyes back at me. _"Kylon…"_ her voice had a bit of a growl to it, telling me that she was still very much tired and wasn't very happy to see me at that moment.

"Good morning to you, as well, Jadera," I teased, chuckling when she snorted at me. It was no surprise, given that I was a dragon myself, that I could understand my kin, even in my human form. The only reason I didn't reply back to her in rumbles and growls was because, as common knowledge went, dragons could understand all languages- from what humans spoke to even the sounds that critters made. I was exempt from that rule, and only knew how to speak the language of people and of dragonkind.

Opening the stable door, I watched as she got up from the bed of hay she was laying on and after she stretched, she walked out into the open- I'll admit that I felt a bit of jealousy, because she was definitely bigger than I was as a dragon, but that was no surprise, given her species. She was a Redoran, a dragon species where the female dragons were actually bigger than the male, but only slightly.

Walking her to the back of the stables, where there was a door leading to the bath houses, I ignored the rack with the leashes on it. As a general rule here, dragons were always supposed to be kept on leashes and that was something I despised. Maybe it had something to do with myself being a dragon as well, equality and everything like that. No one was putting a leash on me, after all.

Except...

...the second I put my hand on the giant wooden door to push it open was the second I was being jerked back as something tight and uncomfortable was put around my neck, snapping into place and I froze up, eyes wide.

As it turned out, not even I was excluded from the rules- something that I will never truly forgive my fellow co-workers for since they think that they can get away with treating me like a common beast. And the truth of it was, the one that started it all was actually the one I had considered to be my best friend- a man named Suri Killian, who had been a noble from a rich desert city just south of the mountains that had been my home when I was a hatchling.

Finally getting back the ability to move, I turned a sharp glare behind me, to where the culprit- a blonde with dark blue eyes and a smug smirk that had a death stick poking out of it. "Bosin," I hissed at him and he tightened his grip on the leash, moving to my side and using my shoulder as an armrest. "Unleash me."

"Aw, now where is the fun in that?" he questioned, chuckling around the stick and I grimaced when I smelt smoke in return. "Come on, kiddo, Diro's got me working on Jadera with you, today."

Sighing, I turned from him to look at Jadera, who was looking at me with an amused glint her eyes. _"Don't even think about it…"_ I growled at her and she snickered, tilting her muzzle up in answer without actually verbally saying anything. "That doesn't mean that you have to put a _leash_ on me every time we're paired together for work, Bosin." I snapped back at the man beside me and he laughed in answer. "So, I'll say again, _unleash me_ , or-"

"Or what, eh?" he snickered, nudging me in the side. "You'll torch me? Oi, hatchling, you know as well as I do that the only one you'd ever torch is Gio. So save your breath for when he riles you up, next, yeah?"

I deflated slightly because I knew that was true, but it was only because Gio was the only one to ever give me a real reason to actually use my 'gift'. It wasn't something I was proud of though, even if Gio was one of the ones that I could sort of count as my friend- or rival, if you want to look at it that way. "That isn't the point." I answered and he let out a genuine laugh, shaking his head in amusement.

"Oh? What then?" he put on a wounded look then, as if he suddenly thought of something, and I was confused only for a moment until he spoke his thoughts. "Oh, I see how it is, then. Only Killian can leash you, is that right? That lucky bastard," he winked then, when I felt my face heat up at the implication and my eyes widened as I began to sputter a protest, "gets all the fun, he does."

"W-what!? N-no! T-that's not it at all! B-Bosin! Where… where are you _going_!?" I flailed, stuttering terribly as I watched him walk away and in the direction of the stable entrance, where- "Bosin! Don't you dare!" I squeaked out, only to realize it was just a little too late.

"Oi! Killian!" Bosin called out to the black haired, blue-violet eyed, ex-noble- Suri Killian, my best friend and to make matters worse, the one person in the entire world my inner dragon seemed dead set on being my mate- that was leading a Rivertail- a small blue dog-like dragon with fins that helped it excel in water territory named Iloia- back into the stables to his stable.

"Bosin?" Suri looked up, his eyes bright and glittering in the early morning sunlight, greeting the blonde that chose to help him put Iloia back into his stable. "Good morning."

"Morning," Bosin greeted him with a smirk, speaking clearly around the death stick before finally taking it out of his mouth and throwing it in a nearby trash bin. "Diro wants you to work with Kylon and Jadera, think you're up for it?"

I honestly didn't know why I didn't just take Jadera and make a run for the bath house already, but as I watched Suri's face light up and then his gaze flick over to meet mine, I couldn't help but feel the little flutter my heart did at the sight. Although I would always deny it, profusely, I loved working with Suri, despite his teasing.

"Of course! Ah, I just have to feed Iloia and King-" Suri looked around then, rubbing at the back of his neck in a sheepish gesture, but Bosin waved off his concerns.

"I'll take care of it," he said and then whispered something that made Suri grin, something I couldn't hear despite my enhanced senses. It made me nervous when Suri met my eyes again and as I felt the heat crawl back up to my cheeks, I turned away sharply, hearing Suri and Bosin say their farewells before hearing Suri's footsteps gradually become closer until a hand finally wrapped back around the end of the leash and I shivered.

"Ready to go little dragon?" Suri questioned, smiling at me and I swallowed hard before nodding, and he led both Jadera and I to the bath houses. When we got inside the large building, I felt myself relax when I smelt the lavender salts that were placed inside the building, and Suri and I set Jadera up in a stall to ready her for her bath.

Setting the bucket of water and soap down, I felt Suri let go of the leash before I watched him grab a separate brush, dipping it into his own bucket of water and he brought it down to her scales, scrubbing the dirt away. Smiling, I went to work and began the same, hearing her rumbles of pleasure and content. _"See? Baths aren't so bad, now are they, Jadera?"_ I cooed to her and she only snorted in answered.

"Surprising, isn't it? She used to fuss over baths and now she loves them," Suri grinned in reply to what I said and the surprise of it all- that he could actually understand me, and only me, when I spoke in the dragon tongue- had long since faded and I only smiled at him in return, focusing on the job instead of answering back.

It didn't take long after that for my thoughts to wander, and I sighed softly, looking at Jadera's contented expression. Sometimes I envied the dragons here at the farms- they were taken care of well and never had to deal with any trouble. They didn't have to fight for survival and people took care of their every need. Me though? It's been a struggle all my life to survive and fit in, and only six years was I able to live in comfort, two of which when I still had a family and a mother to take care of me. But over a decade was how long I was out there on my own and I've never forgotten the things I'd seen or had to endure. But I would never wish that life on these innocent creatures, no matter how jealous I am of them.

"Kylon?" Suri's voice brought me from my thoughts and I blinked my eyes slowly as I stared at my hand, realizing for one horrifying moment that I'd been standing there not moving like an idiot. "What are you thinking about?" Snapping back to the job, I frowned in answer and got the brush wet again, scrubbing just a bit harder at Jadera's scales, though it wasn't like the Redoran minded the slightly rough treatment and instead purred in encouragement at it.

"Nothing." I told him, when it was clear that he was looking for an answer, but he only frowned back. It was also clear that 'nothing' wasn't the answer he was looking for. Sighing, I bit at my lower lip before a light bulb went off in my head, "I was just thinking how uncomfortable this leash is, that's all." I answered, looking up at him with a slightly hopeful expression, because while that wasn't what I was thinking- and he clearly knew that, too- the leash _was_ getting uncomfortable, the leather rubbing at my neck and catching on the necklace- it was made with the strongest blades of grass that grew down south in the rainforests that occupied the region below the desert, dyed a dark brown color, and with beads and shaped rocks painted a light gold and black feathers plucked from my own wings, as painful as that had been- I was wearing.

Rolling his eyes, Suri smirked and set the brush down before moving over to me, "What makes you so sure I can take it off of you? Bosin was the one that put it on you, after all." he spoke in a teasing tone and I glowered at him in return. If there was one thing everyone knew, it was how Suri could get find a cheat to everything man-made, and that included the dragon leashes. And though the leashes were designed as a way that only those who put them on could take them off, Suri had found a way to take them off even if he wasn't the one to put them on in the first place.

"Suri…" I growled in warning and he laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Thank you." I added when he took the leash off of me and he smiled in return, a genuine one that nearly had the heat coming back to my cheeks as I turned away.

"Now, the truth, please?" Suri's voice was soft then and I sighed once more, deflating before setting my own brush down, ignoring Jadera's sleepy rumble of discontent.

"I just… I was just thinking about how _simple_ life is for the dragons we take care of. They don't have to worry about when their next meal is, or if they're going to live to see the next sunrise." Leaning back against the wall, I looked up at the ceiling and only tensed a little when Suri took my hand in his own as a gesture of comfort. Thirteen years was a long time without contact with any living creature that didn't want to kill me for sport or food, and four years wasn't enough time to forget all of that. But it was slowly getting easier, as time passed by. Very slowly.

"Do you want to know what I think?" he asked and before I could even nod, he continued, urging me to meet his eyes as he spoke, "I think your life is a lot better than theirs. I mean, you're free to go wherever you please." he chuckled and I snorted in return.

"That's not true and you know it. Diro's got me on a tighter leash than any actual leash known to man and if I even were truly free of him, if I left…" trailing off, I lowered my head and shook it slowly and sadly, "You don't know what it's like living out there like I have."

"Hey," Suri smiled then, though even I could tell that it had lost a bit of it's light, as he tried to cheer me up, "you still have me, right?"

Smiling in answer, I couldn't help but feel as if for once I wasn't truly alone. "Yeah, I do…" I whispered before suddenly grinning and pushing him away, "but that doesn't mean you're not a jerk or annoying, I'll have you know!" I huffed and pretended to be genuinely hurt and he laughed in return.

"Oh don't be like that, little dragon. At least I'm nicer to you than Gio or Bosin!" Growling in mock-anger, I stuck my tongue out at him.

"You wish!" he smirked then and pulled me to him in a tight, playful hug.

"You better watch your tongue, little dragon, there's no telling what I'll do if you don't," the words, whispered in my ear, were clearly playful and teasing, but I couldn't help the shiver that went down my spine and I swallowed hard. It was only when Jadera rumbled something suggestive, her laughter a little too smug, that I pushed Suri away, my face flamed with embarrassment and something else.

I didn't know what to say to him in return, but I saw the cheeky grin on his face, I couldn't help but laugh and roll my eyes as I pushed him back and stepped past him. "Clean this up when you're done fooling around." I told him, smirking back at his momentary expression of shock, before the grin was back on his face.

"Nah, I'll just get Wynd to do it, and besides," he snickered and I turned back to him, confused, "you forgot something." I was about to ask until he held up the leash and I growled at him, eyes narrowed, as I took a step back. "Your leash."

"Suri Killian, don't you dare-" trying to take off before he could even think about putting the leash back on me, I wasn't able to get very far before he snagged my wrist and pulled me back to him, snapping the leash around my neck with a noise of triumph. "You… you kotsu (bastard)!" I snapped at him, genuinely upset, but when he pulled me back into a hug, ignoring my infuriated struggles, I could feel some of my anger fading. "K-kotsu…" I tried to insult him again, but it fell flat when my voice barely carried in a whisper of a breath and he chuckled softly in return.

"You know, you're cute when you're upset," he hummed and I had to duck my head to hide the blush I knew would be crawling to my cheeks in that instant. Coupled with the fact that Jadera was now openly laughing at me, I knew the blush wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

"One more word, Suri…" I grumbled and he chuckled again, never phased when I tried to threaten him. Instead, he wound the end of the leash around his hand, taking mine in it once more, before leading both myself and Jadera out of the bath house and back towards the stables. Helping me put her away, we watched as Jadera curled up again on her bed, sending one last snort of amusement towards us both, before Suri began dragging me away from the dragons and the stables, towards the main cabin and the feeding grounds. "W-what… where are we going?"

"You haven't had breakfast, have you?" he asked in answer and I frowned at him, trying to jerk the leash out of his hands.

"N-no, but Suri, I still have work to do! I have to give the twins their bath, I need to feed Frayn, and I need to help Shalo practice his flight lessons-" listing off the list of things Diro had given me to work on today, I wasn't even making a dent all the work I needed to do before Suri cut me off.

"You need food, little dragon. And you skipped both lunch and dinner yesterday, so I won't take no for an answer." he said in a tone that was final, but I still couldn't help but try at least one more time to get him to stop and leave me be on my own.

"Well then," I started, letting out a hard breath, jerking on the leash again to get him to stop walking even despite the sharp burst of pain around my neck, "what if Diro finds out _you_ made me skip out on the work I had to do?" Crossing my arms, I finally let a smirk of triumph cross my face when I saw him freeze up at the thought.

No one liked Diro all that much, especially when he was mad and when you were on the receiving end of that anger.

"You wouldn't." he frowned, turning back towards me and I nodded my head.

"I would. But only because you _know_ how important it is that we take care of these dragons. Happy dragons means a happy farm. And a happy farm, means Diro isn't blowing up in anyone's face for every little thing gone wrong." I reasoned and he sighed before shaking his head, and he looked at me with fond annoyance.

"True as that might be, you can't get any work done if you're passing out from hunger. So come on," he urged and I bit my lower lip, knowing he was right. It was only when he spoke again, "I'll let you have my share of bacon?" that my decision was made and I deflated before offering a meek smile.

"Okay."

He grinned then and pulled me into another quick hug before once again leading me to the feeding grounds, where already I could smell the scent of the sizzling bacon, fresh bread, and sweet honey in the dining area.

When we finally reached the dining area, my hunger was only dampened by the taunts and insults spat at me from some of my co-workers, but I chose to ignore them as Suri led us to one of the central tables where a few people were already sitting at it. Sitting me down on the bench, Suri sat beside me, grabbing two plates and gathering our fair shares of the food sat in the middle of the table- his plate was made of toast, jam, and sausage while he gave me a plate full of bacon and honeyed toast.

"Hey dragon breath," perking up at the insult spoken by the familiar voice belonging to none other than Gio Monteri- a man shorter than Suri but still taller than me, with dark pink hair and sharp brown eyes- I couldn't help the growl that crawled up my throat as I greeted him in kind with a little warning after he sat on the bench beside me, nearly squishing me between Suri and him.

"Insult me again, Gio, and I'll make good use of said 'dragon breath'." I snapped at him and he smirked, a general challenge if I ever saw one.

"Oh really now? Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots!" he taunted me and I snorted in answer before watching as he reached out to grab his own plate and then reached for a bagel. "Surely you can come up with a better threat than that after all these years, can't you?" Grinning myself, I let the familiar heat rise from the center of my chest before setting fire to most of the bagels, and nearly Gio's hand in the process. He snatched it back with a sharp yell of pain and shook it violently, blowing on it as if that would cool the heat from the near black fire now dancing over the bagels.

Laughing now, I ignored the looks of anger and fear from the others at the table- not caring a single bit when some of them left to find a different table to sit at- and bit into a piece of my bacon, "As well you should be!" I snorted before letting out a hiss and a whine when Suri flicked my forehead, frowning in disapproval at what I'd done. "Suri!"

"Be nicer, little dragon." he scolded me and I whimpered before growling.

"He's the one that should be nicer!" I snapped back, bristling at the suggestion.

"You nearly torched my hand!" Gio glared at me, still clutching at his hand and I snorted.

"You shouldn't have taunted me then! I told you I was going to do it, but you didn't believe me- ow! Quit that!" I hissed at Suri and edged away from him before realizing that moving away from him put me in Gio's personal space and I jerked back away from the enraged man.

"Enough, both of you. Now apologize to each other," Suri huffed, crossing his arms and pulling on the leash at the same time, causing me to jerk against it with a little growl.

"No!" It was very clear to me that Gio and I thought the same thing and as soon as we spoke, our gazes turned to glare at the other and I growled threateningly at him, the heat in my chest rising again, but I wouldn't dare actually hurt him. No matter how angry I would get at his stupidity.

Before Gio and I could take the fight to another level, I perked up a little when I heard the familiar heavy footsteps that belonged to our employer, and I jerked my head over towards the man himself, breaking the staring contest. "Colt," Diro growled out, a dangerous air about him, and something in my heart plummeted at hearing it. "Suri, Gio," he directed his attention to the other two as well, before jerking his head in the direction of the fields near the training grounds and the bit of dry forested land we did manage to have in the desert.

"Diro…?" I spoke softly, frowning at him, and he turned away, walking back towards the direction he came from, his stride long and quick. "W-wait!" Scrambling to get up, I ran after him, Suri and Gio following after, both silent behind me- the leash was taught and tight, but I ignored how it pulled at me before Suri managed to catch up to me.

The fields were large, covered in sand, dirt, and grass, where dragons of all sizes could roam free, if they wished- with the rule that they weren't allowed to fly off without permission from their trainers or from Diro or Suri themselves. They were empty right now, and as soon I looked towards the middle of the field, where several tall, heavy, metal poles were dug into the ground- spaced out from each other, of course- I saw the reason why.

Frayn- a huge golden dragon with the meanest temper a Goldenwing like him could have- was chained to the pole and even though the steel poles could endure even the swing of a Sand Queen's axe-tail, the one he was chained to was shaking under the force of his thrashing. And it tore at my heart, the sight and the sound of his enraged roars. "Frayn…" I whispered, fists clenching and I barely registered Diro's orders or his threat.

"Calm him down, or I'll be forced to put him down myself."

Turning sharply towards the man, I watched with narrowed eyes as he stalked off, not even _caring_ what happened now. Only that his farm was safe in the end, whether that meant killing Frayn or not. "I wonder…" I whipped around to stare at Suri then, when his voice broke me from my furious thoughts, "what happened to make him so… upset."

Gio snorted, but even I could tell how scared he was, looking at Frayn now, his expression guarded, "Haika, probably. You know she'd do just about anything to get his attention these days."

Haika was a female Goldenwing, smaller than Frayn, but definitely more cunning than he was. She would do anything to get him riled up, including going as far as fooling around with another male dragon to make Frayn jealous. She was like that and it saddened me that Frayn never saw what she was doing.

Only once before though had it gotten so bad, like this, but when that had happened, Frayn had killed the poor fool that tried to claim Haika as his own. Milo, his name was, a pretty little Winterfang that was just too naive for his own good.

Diro had threatened that the next time Frayn killed, he would be put down, so I was just a tiny bit thankful that wasn't the reason Frayn was chained now. But that didn't mean it hurt any less.

I only managed to take a step forward before being jerked back and away from the dragon, back towards Suri, and I could only manage a small glare before it fell apart when I saw how _worried_ he looked. "Suri…" I pleaded, but he shook his head.

"I am _not_ letting you do this. You'll get torn to shreds, Kylon." his hold on the leash tightened, but I barely felt it and instead put my hands over his.

"If I don't do this, Diro will _kill_ him…" I stepped towards him, trying to get him to understand that I had to do this. If not for Frayn, then for myself. Because Frayn was my best friend, the only dragon that truly understood me, and I would be damned if I let him die because I didn't do this. " _Please_ …"

Gritting his teeth, Suri trembled slightly, a war of emotions flashing across his eyes, and I barely managed a sigh of relief when he finally nodded and he finally let the leash drop from his hands. "Please be careful…" he pleaded in return and I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way, before nodding my head in promise.

"I will." Turning away from him, I faced the still furious dragon and held up my hands to show him I was no threat as I took careful steps towards him. _"Frayn…"_ I spoke, voice steady as I tried to get him to focus his attention on me. _"Frayn, it's okay. It's okay, it's me, Kylon…"_ Walking closer to him, he growled as he eyed me dangerously, and I shivered slightly at the feel of it. _"You're being irrational, you know… Haika… she only does this to make you jealous, to get your attention, you have to understand that. She_ likes _you, Frayn. Everyone can see that. But only you can't seem to understand that she's yours and only yours, remember? She knows this too… I promise."_

I reached my hand out to brush my fingers against the scales of his muzzle, but the second I did, the growl grew louder and darker and he snapped at me. I managed to pull my hand away just before his jaws closed over air and I stumbled back, eyes wide with fear and shock. He tried to snap again at me, snapping his wings to propel himself forward, but he missed a second time and I found myself on the ground, Suri wrapped around me, both of us breathing hard, panicked.

"Suri! The dragon!" Gio shouted and both Suri and I looked up to see Frayn towering over us, his eyes wild and dangerous. He reared up, the four ton dragon readying himself to bring his full weight down upon us in his blind rage.

" _Shit!_ " Suri cursed, ready to do anything, I knew, to get us out of harm's way, but before he could act, I scrambled out from under Suri and pushed him away before standing up and holding my ground. "Kylon! _No!_ "

I have to be honest with you, I had fully expected and had been prepared, to be crushed by Frayn's strength and weight. I hadn't expected hearing the pained roar he let out, and hadn't expected the soft tremor of the ground as Frayn fell to the ground. And I _never_ expected to feel his muzzle nudge against my chest, a little growling whimper leaving him as I finally opened my eyes, startled and slightly apprehensive.

 _"Frayn…"_ I questioned, fingers itching as I held back the urge to rest my hands on his scales until he nudged me again and I finally brought them up. _"Oh Frayn…"_ Letting the tears fall, I smiled and kneeled on the ground, in front of him, using my words and my touch to calm us both down. _"Don't you ever do that to me again…"_ I scolded him lightly and he rumbled in answer.

"Kylon!" Suri suddenly yelled, and I snapped my head towards him, eyes wide, and Frayn growled again, but stayed on the ground in front of me. Suri didn't look too happy, but his anger was fighting with the relief and worry I could see clearly in his eyes and I smiled then. " _Fuck_ , don't ever do that again!" I couldn't help but laugh at that and though he looked confused, only slightly, by my reaction, I could see the exact moment he relaxed and then we were both laughing, as he fell to his knees in front of Frayn and by my side. "You'll both be the death of me someday, you realize this, yeah?"

"Admit it, you'd be bored without us around," I said and he rolled his eyes, smirked, and ruffled my hair in answer, ignoring my protest at the action and smiling at Frayn's rumble of laughter.

"What… the _hell_ …?" Gio snapped at us both, on the ground, before he groaned when I grinned at him, "You're insane, the both of you…" and promptly fell back, letting out a huff of breath, no doubt beyond relieved that nothing truly bad had happened.

When Frayn was calm enough, and Gio had left, Suri and I unlocked the chains that bound the dragon before leading him to the stables, where he could rest after a stressful morning. "You're amazing…" Suri whispered as we watched Frayn settle down and I blushed, ducking my head in answer.

"I'm the only one he truly trusts…" I said in answer and he smiled, pulling me against him in a tight, lingering hug that told me exactly how he was feeling. "Come on, let's get back to work." I chuckled and he huffed out a small breath.

"Alright, but the next time a dragon goes berserk, we're getting someone else to handle it…" he grumbled and I couldn't help the fond feeling lighting in my chest as I handed him the leash and pulled him out of the stables, happy when the little twinkle returned to his eyes.

"No promises."

.x.

It had been a long day, and when night had finally fell upon the farm, I couldn't have been more relieved. After finishing up the last of my chores, after having been dragged to dinner by Suri, I put away the supplies I'd been using before finally making my way towards the sleeping grounds, where the cabin I shared with Suri was.

Getting inside, I closed the door behind me, not really surprised to see that Suri wasn't back yet, and got ready for bed. I set the necklace I wore- pleased to remember when Suri had finally removed the leash from around my neck earlier today- on the nightstand that stood beside the only bed in the room- a thing that used to be a problem until I got used to it- and changed into night clothes, putting on one of Suri's larger shirts rather than one of my own- a thing that had also become habit, like sharing the bed with Suri, cuddling next to him at night.

Sitting down on the bed, I debated shifting into my dragon form, knowing that Suri didn't like it all that much since, even though I was small in size for a dragon, I was still a bit big compared to a human.

Deciding against it, I settled into the bed, curling under the covers and waited patiently for Suri to come back from his own work.

"You're wearing one of my shirts again?" Suri chuckled as he closed the door behind him and my eyes snapped open, blinking them slowly, trying to figure out when I had even fallen asleep. I hadn't even heard the door open, signaling his arrival.

"Mhm…" I yawned and scooted over for him, so he could fit comfortably on the bed, "They're comfy…" I added and he chuckled, shaking his head before finally getting ready for bed, changing into his own pajamas and I ducked my head to hide the blush I always got when he changed in front of me. Working for years on a farm worked magic on Suri and I was almost afraid that if I let myself stare, I'd do something I'd surely regret.

"Yes, I'm sure they're _way_ more comfortable that your own, which are made from the same material, you know." he teased and I stuck my tongue out at him, completely forgetting about his little threat earlier, until he had me pinned to the bed and my eyes widened. "What did I say about watching your tongue, little dragon?" he smirked at me and I shivered, my cheeks no doubt staining an impossible red by now.

"A-ah, u-uhm… y-you… S-Suri…?" I stammered out and he laughed, loud and beautiful, and my heart fluttered at the sound.

"Calm down, my sweet little dragon," he hummed and I wasn't sure if I was disappointed or relieved when he moved off of me to settle down next to me instead, pulling me against him under the covers and he smiled. "Goodnight, Kylon," he whispered, kissing the top of my head and I swallowed hard.

"G-goodnight… Suri…"

.x.

I woke up to the sound of a loud roar, my eyes flying open in alarm, and I slipped out from Suri's tight grasp, moving silently over to the door and I opened it, peeking out into the dark sky above. I wanted so bad to catch a glimpse of the dragon that made that sound, but I knew the second I caught only emptiness that it was all in my head- because my mother was right, she always was. I was the last of my kind and there was no way what I heard had been the roar of a Nightwing. It had only been in my dreams, that I heard it. My dream had been what woke me up, not the roar of the dragon of legends.

Sighing in slight disappointment, I continued to stare up at the sky, the three moons my only company, until Suri's quiet mumble broke the silence, "Get back over here and come back to sleep…"

I turned my head towards him with a sleepy smile, catching a glimpse of tired blue-violet eyes. "Do I have to?" I questioned, my voice as soft and quiet as his had been and he hummed, answering with a yawn.

"Yes, Kylon," he held out a hand, bring it up from under the blanket, and I chuckled, standing up from my spot on the ground before closing the door behind me. Walking over to the bed, I climbed back under the sheets, letting out a pleased little purr when he curled back around me, nuzzling against my hair.

I was almost asleep once more when I could have sworn I had heard him utter three little words that my pained heart had been longing to hear for so long, "I love you, little dragon..."

My eyes snapped wide open and I stared up at him in shock, my mouth suddenly dry, "W-what?!" but he was already asleep, his arms tight around me, but I could barely pay attention to that. All I could think was if maybe he was too tired, and didn't know what he'd said, or if maybe he'd forget about it all in the morning. Or maybe, just _maybe_ … he actually _meant_ it. Tears gathered in my eyes at that thought and I buried my head in his chest, stifling the little whimper before whispering the words back, "I love you, too…"

It was a long time after that before I finally managed to get some sleep.


	3. Chapter Two

_"You're panicking."_ I snapped my head up when I heard Veera's voice- a female Oakwing, a dragon that looked as if she was made of the trees that covered forest grounds- and managed a brief scowl when I saw her smirk at me. _"And I'm sure I can guess why."_

 _"You don't know what you're talking about."_ I hissed at her, grabbing the rake and going to work cleaning out the stall next to her own. _"I'm not panicking… I don't panic."_ I added in a mutter, but the truth of it was, that she was right. I was panicking and rightfully so.

It's been a week since the dream I had about not being the so-called legendary Nightwing my mother told me I was. And a week since I _thought_ I heard Suri say that he loved me and when I said it back to his sleeping form. A week since that night and a week since I've taken to avoiding Suri at every turn.

Unfortunately, that streak ended the second Diro put Suri and I together on working to clean out the stalls while most of the dragons were out in the fields, in the baths, or were working. And now I was panicking because my thoughts had returned to that night and once again I wasn't so sure if I'd dreamt that whole night up or if it really had happened.

But it was obvious he didn't remember that he'd said it, if he even did. And that… that was what hurt the most.

 _"If you love him so much, little dragon, tell him so."_ Veera cooed and I stiffened up, eyes closing tightly and I feared I'd break the rake in my hands if my grip became any tighter on the wooden stick. _"It isn't that hard to tell how much you care for him… any dragon can see the love you hold for the human."_

 _"Veera… stop it."_ I whispered, trying to blink back tears and she made a noise of worry and discontent. But I ignored her rumbles in favor of moving to a different stall on the other side of the stables, where Suri wasn't.

Before I could even get started on cleaning out the bedding, Suri called out to me, "Hey Kylon, come over here for a second?" I jerked my head towards him, where he was standing beside Ryko's stall- a grey, laid-back Viperfang that we rescued from hunters a few years back. He was blind, as all Viperfang's were, but the poor thing also had his venom removed from him by force and he hadn't quite recovered from that yet. "I need Ryko to get up so Bimera can take him out to the watering hole. But he won't listen to me."

"Y-yeah, okay…" swallowing hard, I set down the rake and made my way over to where he was, forcing my gaze away from his and I turned to look at the poor Viperfang that was laying curled in his nest. His wings were pulled tight, close to his body, and his legs were hidden from view- he was one of the few dragons where his species didn't have front arms. His scales were polished- a recent thing done by Bimera, his primary caretaker- but you could still see the damage the hunters had done to him and it had taken everything I had not to tear those hunters limb from limb when we rescued him from them. _"Ryko…"_ I cooed to him, using my native tongue to speak to him, knowing he was more comfortable when I did so.

He twitched at hearing my voice, his tail curled tighter around him, but he relaxed nonetheless.

 _"Come on, it's time to get up."_ I smiled gently as I knelt down beside him, reaching my hand out towards his hidden muzzle. _"Bimera wants to take you to the watering hole today. Don't you want to spend some time with him?"_ He blinked open pink eyes and flicked his forked tongue out, intrigued, I knew, but not quite willing to get up, just yet. _"I heard he's got a special surprise planned for you. Don't you want to go see what it is?"_

 _"S-surprise…?"_ He perked up at that, lifting his head up and craning his long neck so he was looking at me, his vacant eyes blinking slowly. _"R-really…?"_

Nodding my head, I chuckled, _"Yes. And if you're good for him, I'll snag a few Temper eggs from dinner for you."_ I promised and he purred at the thought, always pleased with the prospect of getting some of the sweet eggs to snack on.

 _"I-I love Temper eggs…"_ he answered back and I grinned at him, reaching out and gently petting his muzzle with my hand.

 _"I know. So, you ready to get up so Suri can do his job?"_ Ryko nodded his head eagerly and stood up, using his wings to balance his weight before stretching out and he followed me out of the stall. I hadn't noticed Bimera standing there- his dark blonde hair neatly brushed and his dark green eyes twinkling behind thin-rimmed glasses- until he spoke, laughter in his voice.

"And that's why you're the best, eh kiddo?" Blushing slightly, I only shook my head before watching as Bimera led Ryko from the stables, talking to the Viperfang the whole time- it was a comfort for Ryko, I knew, to hear Bimera's voice while they went out for walks. It let him know that he was safe and that Bimera wasn't leaving his side, no matter what.

"He's right, you know?" Suri smiled as he spoke, walking over to my side and pulling me in for another hug, one I tensed up at. "You're truly amazing with these dragons."

"You… you forget, Suri…" I muttered, frowning now, "I _am_ one of these dragons, despite the fact that I work under Diro instead of being owned by him."

"I for one am glad you aren't owned by him, Kylon," Suri said, the words sudden but honest, "after all, it wouldn't do to have such a beautiful dragon like yourself caged like they are. Diro should be lucky he even has you to help out around the farm. Because without you, this farm would be in tatters."

"Not true," I muttered, pulling out of his grasp and I walked back over to the stall I'd started to work on, grabbing the rake again to clean the bedding out. And while I believed what he said wasn't true, I also wanted to get away from him to hide my blush, because hearing those words coming from him had my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest.

"Do you need some help?" Suri questioned, frowning now, but it was in sadness at my departure from him, I knew. Shaking my head, I gripped the rake tightly before letting it go, resting it against the wooden wall next to me before grabbing a bucket filled with water and a mop. "Kylon… you'll break the mop if you hold it any tighter." he chided and I growled low in my throat, finally snapping.

"Enough!" I snapped at him, turning around swiftly, "I'm not a hatchling! I don't need your help-!" The moment I took a step backwards, I regretted it, as I slipped on the wet floor and I let out a startled and fearful yelp.

"Kylon!" Suri managed to catch me in time, his arms wrapped tight around me so I wouldn't fall again, as he walked us both out of the danger zone. Shaking slightly in embarrassment, frustration, and slight adrenaline, I clenched my fists before pushing him away. "What-?"

" _Stop_." I brushed him off and pushed past him, needing some time to myself. Passing by Veera's stall, I frowned as I caught her disappointed gaze before looking away sharply, continuing towards the stable entrance.

 _"He loves you too, little dragon."_ she said, but that only served to soke the fire in my belly just that little bit more, tears catching at the corners of my eyes as I gripped the stable doors tightly. Casting a small glance back towards Suri, I couldn't help the wounded noise I made before shaking my head and tearing out of the stables, running towards the forested area at the back of the farm.

Shifting into my dragon form while I was still running, I made it to the forest and spent the next few hours cooling off, hidden by the trees and more importantly, away from Suri.

.x.

Making my way into the feeding grounds, I walked into the dining area, ready to snag something I could eat for lunch before getting back to work. I was supposed to take Frayn out for a small run after lunch and I wasn't about to waste any valuable time doing something unimportant like eating- despite the fact that I usually had to eat more than a normal human to survive.

"Hey lizard tongue!" Unfortunately, it didn't look like I was going to get away clean and free, not if Gio has anything to say about it, anyway.

"Can't you at least come up with an insult that's creative?" I asked, frowning in annoyance at him as he waved me over to the kitchens, where the stoves and other machines were. "What do you need?"

"The stove needs lit and we're out of flint." he sighed, nodding to the stove that sat in the back of the kitchens. "Minx went to grab some more, but we still have food to cook for lunch. Lot of hungry workers and plenty of picky dragons."

"Yeah," I sighed and nodded, kneeling down to where I was level with the pile of wood that helped cook the meals for everyone. Blowing lightly on it, I could see the dying sparks and I smiled, at least happy that I could be of some help with my abilities. "I can get the fire stoked in no time, Gio, don't worry." I told him and he only made a small noise of impatience in return. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the fire and blew a bit of my own fire at the wood, lighting it easily, the black fire catching on the wood and spreading, hot and ready.

"Thank you." Gio said, gruffly, before shooing me away and I left with an exasperated smile, shaking my head before making my way to an empty table, not bothering with a plate as I snagged a juicy fish from one of the pans in the middle of the table.

"It's a good thing fish are edible to people as well," I hummed with pleasure, nibbling on the descaled creature, sinking my teeth into the meat and delighting in the taste. I was about to leave- because although one fish wasn't enough for me, I was already planning on coming back after everyone else got their own food and taking whatever might have been left to eat my fill in comfortable silence- until Suri walked onto the grounds, and it was only a few heartbeats before he spotted me and he grinned, something that tugged at my heart.

Only Suri would still be happy to see me after the fit I threw earlier in the stables. But that didn't surprise me, not anymore.

"Kylon! There you are, come on, sit with us!" Suri called, waving me over, and I melted, unable to resist as I edged closer to the table he'd chosen, where Bimera, Wynd- a silver haired, blue eyed trainer that worked with teaching dragon hatchlings the rules of the farms-, Bosin, and a few others sat. And after ignoring how a few glared at me, while Wynd and Bimera greeted me with a smile and Bosin with a wink, I sat down beside Suri, still nibbling on my fish. "I was worried when you disappeared earlier," Suri added, frowning at me now and I ducked my head, sighing softly.

"I… had to clear my head. I was only in the forest, so there was no need to worry about me." I answered him, honest as I ever could be around him. I heard someone snort and lifted my head up to glare at one of the rookie trainers, someone that worked with Wynd, Calina, I think her name was- a brown haired, brown eyed nuisance.

"You ask me, one like you shouldn't be let free to roam the forests. Gods only know the trouble you can cause out on your own." she snarled at me and I growled back at her, ready to retort, especially as I felt Suri tense beside me.

"Oi! You got something against the little colt, you take it up with me." Gio snapped at her, taking his seat beside me, nearly crushing me against Suri once more in the process.

"Gio," I grumbled, "as much as I appreciate you coming to my defence, you're sitting a little too close for comfort." He only smirked at me in answer, reaching out to grab a piece of bacon and I snorted, letting a bit of fire lick at the edge of the plate of bacon. He snatched his hand back, ready to snap at me, but before he could, I was suddenly pulled into Suri's lap and I froze, eyes wide and a blush staining my cheeks. "W-wha-?!"

"Don't you dare start a fight, Kylon." Suri admonished and I squirmed a little, uncomfortable with the smug look on Gio's face, the cheeky grin on Bosin's, the knowing smirk from Bimera, and the heartfelt laugh from Wynd. Calina and her friends expressed their distain openly before Calina pushed away from the table and went to find a new spot.

"S-sure…" I whispered, swallowing hard and tried to focus once more on the fish, though my attempts at eating were halfhearted at best. I nearly sighed with relief when I heard Diro's familiar footsteps, but froze just a moment as I recalled what happened last week when he came to get the three of us.

"Suri! Get your ass back at the dragon stables. Kylon, you're on bath duty with Marya." he snapped at us both and the relief was back as I scrambled to get off of Suri's lap and away from him and the others.

"Thank the Gods…" I groaned, running a hand over my face before making my way to the stables, where Marya- a dark blue Razorscale with an injured tailfin- slept peacefully in her stall. _"Ah, Marya, it's time to wake up. You want a bath, don't you?"_ I smirked when I saw her stir from her nap and her tail fluttered before she blinked open pretty crystal red eyes. _"There you go, come on girl."_

Watching as she stood up and stretched out, yawning only slightly after her long nap, I waited patiently for her to follow me out of the stall and out of the stables, towards the bath house. And when we got there, I was pleased to note that a bucket of water and soap, along with a special brush for her specific kind of scales, was already there, waiting for use.

Getting to work, I grabbed the brush and dipped it into the water before starting on washing her scales, being very careful not to cut my hands. After all, a Razorscale is called so for a reason, and her scales are sharper than her fangs and claws combined. _"Good girl, Marya."_

 _"Nyeh, Kylon… is it true you're trying to get a human to become your mate?"_ she suddenly asked, startling me enough to where I dropped the brush, my eyes wide and my mouth opening and closing as I tried to stutter out something without sounding like an idiot.

 _"W-what? W-wherever did you hear that?"_ I frowned at her, kneeling down and taking the brush in hand once more, trying to still my nerves as I wetted it once more.

 _"Haika told me and Robin about it. She said that you like Suri and that he likes you."_ Sighing to myself, I shook my head and put the brush to her scales, a frown still tugging at my lips.

 _"Haika is… wrong. Marya."_ I murmured and before she could interrupt me, I continued. _"Yes, I like him… but it's more complicated than that. But… he doesn't like me back, no matter what Haika or Veera may tell you and Robin."_

 _"Oh… well then he's an idiot."_ she cooed back and I couldn't help the briefest of smiles on my face when I heard that.

 _"Hush. I'll not have you say anything bad about him,"_ moving around to her muzzle, I waited for her nod of resignation, before continuing with her bath. _"Good girl…"_ It was when I was nearly done, wetting the brush for the last time, that I was finally aware of the commotion going on outside. "What…?"

"Kylon!" Someone- Gio- burst through the doors of the bath house and I frowned as I looked outside of the bathing stall, where Marya and I were currently.

"Gio? Gio, what's wrong?" I asked, panicked now as I saw how generally distressed he looked. Brown eyes were pained as they caught mine and he took in several breaths, trying to catch his breath. "Gio Monteri you tell me this instant or I'll-!"

"It's _Frayn_ …!" he bit out before I could finish my threat and I felt my blood run cold at that.

"No… _No_ , please Gods, _please_ tell me it's not-" Anything but what I was thinking.

"Diro's going to _kill_ him…! You have to hurry!" I was out of the bath house before he could even finish his sentence, panic taking hold of my heart and I could barely breath as I rushed towards the dragon fields, forcing myself not to shift at that very moment.

"Diro! Diro _no_!" I shouted, horror filling me to the brim when I saw Frayn once more chained to the poles, literally restricted to the point that he could barely move. His wings were bound, his muzzle chained, and his feet and tail barely had any room to move. "Diro!" And Diro- the old man was standing in front of him, a Dragon Bane- a weapon designed to put down feral dragons- in his hands. "Don't! Diro _please_!" I tried to go after him, but the second I tried, Suri and Wynd grabbed a hold of me, pulling me back. "Let _go_ of me! K-kotses (B-bastards)! _Mik_ ( _No_ )!"

I watched as Frayn struggled and as Diro pulled the weapon back, "Diro warned us…" Wynd whispered weakly, his eyes torn away from the scene, as if he couldn't bare to watch any longer. "Frayn's killed one too many dragons…"

I couldn't even say anything to that, my eyes transfixed on the scene before us. I could only scream and cry, jerking against Suri and Wynd's hold, Gio finally joining us the second that Diro struck. _"Frayn!"_ The dragon roared out in pain before he finally fell to the ground, and I snapped, tearing against Suri's grip the second Wynd let go, and I ran over to the dragon, to my best friend. _"No! F-Frayn,_ please _…! You can't die! You_ can't _!"_ I cried out, tears running down my cheeks but I hardly cared as I fell to my knees beside Frayn's head, his eyes closed and his body unmoving.

Several people were gathered around us now, but I cared little about them as I wrapped my arms around Frayn, not even noticing when Diro left- showing no emotion to what he'd just done- and I cried and begged and pleaded for Frayn to come back.

_"Keii (I'm sorry)... Ka ket (So sorry)..."_

"Kylon…" Suri whispered, falling to his knees by my side and I hiccuped in answer, my arms tightening around Frayn's neck until Suri tugged me against him and I cried into his chest. "I'm sorry…" he murmured and I shook my head.

"W-why…? W-why did this happen?" I asked, begging for an answer but he only deflated, hugging me tighter to him.

"I… I don't know…" he sighed, and I cried harder, "I don't know…"

I didn't know how much time had passed, but when I was finally aware of what was happening, Gio had chosen that moment to walk over to us, placing a hand on Suri's shoulder. "Take him to bed… Wynd and I will cover for you both." he said and Suri offered only a small smile of thanks before standing up, pulling me with him.

"Come on, little dragon," he cooed, and I followed numbly behind him until we finally reached our little cabin. When we got inside, he got us both ready for bed, even though there were still quite a few hours of day left until night fell upon the farm. He set my necklace on the nightstand and then helped me into the bed, under the covers, before following after, curling himself around me for comfort. "Go to sleep, my sweet little dragon."

I didn't want to, but I was exhausted. And even though I knew nightmares would plague my sleep, I did as told, closing my eyes and succumbing to the darkness.


	4. Chapter Three

I wasn't all that surprised when I found myself waking up- after a particularly horrid nightmare involving my past that turned into rewatching Frayn's death over and over- to a pitch black room, the sun having not risen quite just yet. I was warm though, despite the frozen fear clutching at my heart, and I soon realized why, when I heard Suri's soft, quiet breath close to my ears, above where my head was pressed against his chest. He was curled tight around me, protecting me it seemed, from the horrors of the world and I almost smiled, if it weren't for the single thought that not even Suri, it seemed, could protect me from the horrors within my own mind.

Shifting on the bed, I wondered how difficult it would be to remove myself from his hold when he tightened his arms around me and let a noise of sleepy discontent out. Frowning, I lifted my head before raising a hand to his chest, pushing him away just a little until he finally gave me enough room to slip from his hold. "...no… Ky…" he groaned and reached out a hand to grab mine, stopping me from getting off the bed completely. "C'me back t' bed…"

"I can't… Suri…" I whispered back to him, watching as he blinked open his eyes, looking very much exhausted. "I have something important I need to take care of."

"C'n't it wait till mornin'?" he questioned, suppressing a yawn and I smiled sadly at him before shaking my head and I squeezed his hand. Slipping my hand from his afterwards, I stood up and walked over to the closet, changing my clothes for the new day despite not needing them just yet, and I grabbed my necklace, slipping it on and fingering the feathers. "What is it…?" his voice was clearer now and I looked back over to him, to see him sitting up against the headboard, looking at me with a worried frown.

Turning my head down, I forced myself to stop playing with the feathers as I clenched my hand, so I wouldn't crush them in the process. "I… I want to say one final g-good… goodbye… t-to Frayn…" I choked out in answer, clutching tightly at the hem of my shirt to ground myself, though poorly, as the images of his fallen body- and my nightmare- flashed through my mind.

Suri sighed softly then and I heard the soft rustle of the covers on the bed before suddenly Suri was walking past me, to the closet and he was getting dressed.

"What…? What are you doing?" I asked him, frowning slightly in confusion and he smiled back at me in answer, pulling off his night shirt and then grabbing a new one, putting it on.

"I'm getting dressed, of course," he chuckled and I narrowed my eyes, in no mood for his jokes. "Kylon," he sighed and turned towards me once he was dressed, his own necklace- made of sturdy brown string that had a dragon fang hanging from it- hanging around his neck now. "I'm coming with you." he added and my eyes widened, my breath caught in my throat and I felt tears gather in my eyes. "I can't very well let you go on your own, not after all you've been through with him. I understand how important he was and how close you two were. And I'm _sorry_ Diro had done what he did. I'll personally talk to Diro later on about it, I promise."

Letting the tears fall now, I hugged him as tight as I could, "You have no _idea_ how much this means to me Suri…" I sniffled and he chuckled, hugging me back before pulling us apart.

"Trust me when I say this, little dragon, I _do_." he answered and then finally led us both to the door of the cabin. He held my hand tightly in his own and I could feel the heat coming to my cheeks as I snuck a peek at our hands, before quickly looking down and away as he opened the door, pulled us out of the room and closed it behind us.

Smiling to myself, I couldn't help but link our fingers together, the heat on my cheeks growing at the little action and even more so when I felt his hand squeeze my own in answer.

"I thought you didn't like me, little dragon," Suri spoke up as we walked towards the dragon fields and I jerked my head up, surprised and a little startled, before finally trying to tug my hand away from his. He held on tight though, not letting me escape, and I swallowed hard. "You certainly try your damndest to make it seem like you want nothing to do with me, at least, that's how it looks." he added and I turned my head down and away once again, trembling slightly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I told him, desperately wanting to avoid where I knew this conversation was going to go. But I knew Suri, and I knew he knew me, and that he definitely wasn't going to let this go as easily as I wanted him to. "Suri…"

"You know… you think no one likes you, but you're wrong." That was all he said in answer to my warning and before I could even question what he meant by that- the possible implications of such statement- we were already at the fields and my throat closed up when I saw Frayn, still chained against the pole, still motionless, his spark of life snuffed out.

Letting out a little whimper, I finally noticed Haika- the beautiful golden dragon dulled in her sadness and grief and heartbreak- and I took a few shaky steps towards her, the moment Suri finally let my hand go. Falling to her side, I choked on my tears, letting them fall freely down my cheeks, as I hugged her as tight as I could. _"I-I'm so sorry Haika…"_ I whispered to her, and she rumbled sadly in return.

 _"W-why…?"_ she asked and that single question broke my heart.

 _"I wish I knew…"_ We all sat in silence for a while, the sky lightening only just a little, but there was still a few hours until dawn. Finally, I felt that Frayn had suffered enough, even in death, and I began removing the chains with Suri's help before finally shifting into my dragon form- my physique as black as night, and small compared to even Haika, my feathered wings trembling with my emotions and my long furred ears twitching nearly non-stop with every sniffle and rustle I heard. _"We'll give him a proper burial… and I promise you Haika… I'll make this right."_

Haika nodded her head slightly before turning towards Frayn and together, Haika and I managed to pick him up, making our way slowly towards a clearing in the forest, a little ways away from the farm, where I'd buried a few other dragons who'd died before, in my four years of living here at the farms. The clearing was large, cleared of trees, but still shaded somehow from much of the sun's blinding light when it was day, and circling the clearing were flowers of all kinds and torches with lace of different colors, each signaling where a grave was, were placed all across the clearing.

I'd buried hatchlings who'd died of disease, dragons that had died from fights- Milo was here too- and dragons that had passed from old age. But I never once thought I'd have to bury Frayn here- I'd promised him a long time ago that I'd free both him and Haika and they'd be able to live out in the desert on their own, free of the farms and free from Diro. I desperately wish that I could have kept that promise, but as Haika and I dug his grave and laid him to rest, I knew I could still keep half of that promise.

I watched Suri put up another torch, one with a golden lace this time, near Frayn's grave, and for once, I didn't have any tears left to let fall. _"Kadelo oui'vi kau bein (Kadelo watch over you), Frayn."_ I said, speaking the words as a promise and a prayer both, before turning to Suri and nodding.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before turning to Haika, resting a hand on her neck and nodding his head silently back towards the stables. She made a noise of displeasure before finally nodding reluctantly and she turned away, her posture deflated, and Suri walked with her back to the stables, where he'd stay with her until she fell asleep.

I stayed beside Frayn's grave, my head raised towards the night sky and I sighed, letting the calm night air wash over me. It helped me calm my racing heart and mind, and it helped me sort the thoughts I couldn't make sense of. _"Suri…"_ I whispered, when I heard his footsteps come back into the clearing. _"Tell me something."_

"Anything." he answered, a concerned smile on his face, but a smile nonetheless- and though I couldn't see it, turned away from him, I could hear it in his voice.

 _"Why…"_ I started before pausing and I frowned, looking down at the ground now, unsure how to form my thoughts into words. _"Why… tell me why you have been doing what you've been doing- the hand holding, the intimate hugs, the kisses to my forehead, the intimate_ words _\- if you have no intention of ever following through."_

"W-what…?" he choked on the word and I flinched, wondering if I shouldn't take it back, but I steeled myself up.

_"You were right, you know… well, wrong in that sense, but right nonetheless. It has been obvious to all the dragons… to everyone in your circle of friends-"_

"-our friends…" Suri interrupted, breathless and still obviously startled enough that he didn't register he'd even corrected me.

 _"And well… it wasn't ever supposed to be obvious to you, but you've obviously figured it out."_ My voice quieted here, but hardened a little, my emotions a mess but I kept them from coming out as I tried to sort through them. _"It's true that I… I_ like _you… and I have chosen you as my mate, but-"_

"M-mate…?" Feeling my heart drop at how he sounded, still so confused, but there was a hidden emotion there, something I couldn't figure out just yet.

 _"_ But _-"_ I started again, trying to keep him from interrupting me again, _"-it is clear to me that you do not share my feelings. Despite your recent actions and your ignorance to personal space."_

"W-wait, hold on, Kylon-"

 _"Suri… please…"_ I pleaded for him to stop, turning now to face him and I swallowed hard when I saw his face, a mixture of shock, disbelief, uncertainty, and something more- that something I still couldn't figure out. _"It's bad enough that I have to deal with the longing in my heart for something I can never have, please don't make it impossible…"_

"Kylon! Shut up for a second and listen to me, damn it!" Suri finally snapped and I flinched away at the unexpected outburst, the frustration and annoyance clear in his tone of voice. So I stopped talking, my jaw snapping shut with an audible clack of sharp teeth against sharp teeth and I barely winced when I bit my tongue, the taste of blood sharp and metallic in my mouth. "You don't ever know when to quit, do you?" Suri sighed, frowning now and he ran his hands through his hair. "You talk and you talk about things you don't have a clue about and the worst part is, you actually _believe_ all of the shit you say. Well, fuck that because it's not true. Any of it."

 _"I… I don't understand…"_ I whispered, around the blood I could still taste, even after swallowing several times to get rid of it.

"I'm trying to tell you, you selfish prick!" he stalked towards me, grabbing the sides of my muzzle and pulling my head so it was level was his own, my eyes wide and his own narrowed with anger still there and determination now shining through. "You want to know why I do the things I do?" Nodding slowly, I trembled, my wings fluttering in time with every nervous beat of my heart. "It's because, damned if I don't, I _love_ you. Kylon, I do. Everything about you- _including_ the fact that you're a dragon. I don't care about that, I don't."

Shaking my head sharply, my mind flashed back to when he'd uttered those three words that had my heart racing and my nerves on edge. _"N-no… you don't… y-you're ly-"_

"Finish that fucking word, Kylon, I dare you." He growled at me, forcing me to meet his eyes again and I swallowed hard. "When have I _ever_ lied to you? Tell me that."

Frowning now, my wings drooped, because he was right. He'd never once lied to me about anything, not that I knew about, anyway, and it made me start to hope that maybe this- what he was saying- was true. But it couldn't be, because nothing good _ever_ happened to me- it was the opposite of the legend, the one that said if you saw a Nightwing, something great would happen to you. Well, what does the legend say about _being_ that very Nightwing? What does it say about the so-called great things that would happen if you _were_ the Nightwing of legends? Nothing.

"Kylon… Ky, my sweet little dragon, _please_ … I'm begging you to believe me. I'm telling you the truth, I swear." he pleaded, tears now in his eyes and that was the sight that broke me.

 _"I… I wasn't dreaming then…"_ I whispered, and he looked slightly confused for only a moment, _"That night… that night when you told me you… you loved me…"_

Relief shown in his eyes then and he smiled, shaking his head, "No, no you weren't. I _do_ love you, Kylon. I was telling the truth then and I'm telling the truth now. I love you, _you_ , little dragon. Kylon…"

Shifting back into my human form, I couldn't help the tears- what I thought was long since dried-out- falling down my cheeks and I threw my arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

Nothing good _ever_ happened to me… but somehow, Suri _loved me back_.

Damning the consequences, I kissed him, my heart soaring when he _kissed back_. It was short, and chaste, but it was _perfect_ , despite the tears and my inexperience, and when he pulled back, the smile on his face was even more so. "Come on, my sweet little Kylon… let's go get you cleaned up before sunrise. Okay?"

Nodding my head, I let him take my hand before leading me back to the cabin that was ours- with the single bed that I now wondered if Suri purposefully kept single, but no longer cared about it- to get cleaned up before work.

I only had _one_ thought in my head- _please_ don't let this be a dream.

.x.

When I awoke, I panicked, because I hadn't meant to fall asleep- Suri and I had only laid on the bed to wait for sunrise and when I found myself alone in the bed, I felt dread creep into my heart. "No… _no, no, no…_ _Please_ , tell me that wasn't just a dream…" Jumping slightly when I heard the bang against the cabin wall, I immediately jerked my head towards the door and narrowed my eyes, my momentary heartbreak forgotten when anger flushed through me and I growled, low and dark.

Getting up from the bed, not bothering with finding clothes to wear since Suri and I'd gotten dressed before my impromptu nap- that may or may not have all been just a dream, a terribly amazing dream that I _never_ wanted to wake up from- I walked over to the cabin door, yanking it open and glaring darkly at Diro's retreating form. It was a good thing he had left before I did open the door because I was seriously about to explode.

Deciding to cool my head off for a bit, I walked towards the forest, towards the river that ran to the watering hole that we used for fresh water. Perking up when I heard the sound of running water, I let a smile slip over my features, before making my way to the river's edge, grinning now when I spotted what would soon be my breakfast- V'agori, the Phoenix catfish and the richest fish in the whole desert, though my favorite was Desert Salmon.

Shifting into my dragon form, I flicked my tongue out in anticipation, watching the three red and gold fish swim in a circle around each other before finally edging closer and I struck, my jaws snapping around one of the fish, my whole head submerged into the water, and it was refreshing- the taste in my mouth and the water rushing over my fur and scales.

Finally pulling my head out of the water, I clamped my jaws around the fish tighter until I finally ceased its struggling.

Wish my feast in my figurative hand- and with no other fish around after that little stunt- I decided to eat now and then return to the farm afterwards, towards the dining area to retrieve the meat for the dragons I was to take care of for the day.

"Kylon!" Perking up at Suri's voice, I could feel the heat crawling up my cheeks as I recalled the kiss from last night, before the dread filled my stomach again when I thought about how that all could have been just a dream. "Kylon, wait!" Turning my head down and away, I stalked towards the kitchens, biting my lower lip to keep the tears from surfacing again. It was hard to believe that after four years of pining, I could finally get what I'd wanted right from the start. Impossible even. "Kylon… Ky! Stop." Suri caught up to me and he grabbed my arm, causing me to halt in my steps, tensing up under his touch. "Why are you running away from me? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I muttered, trembling now. "I have work to do."

"Kylon… you're a terrible little liar, you know..." Suri frowned at me and moved a hand to my cheek, forcing me to meet his eyes, his touch gentle and kind, and I blinked the tears away. "What's wrong, my sweet little dragon? What troubles you?"

"S-sweet little…" I let out a shaky breath and he smiled then, understanding crossing his features and he dipped down to steal a kiss from my trembling lips.

"Oh Ky… my sweet little Kylon… it hurts to know how broken your heart is, that you would believe something so perfect had been nothing but a dream."

"T-that's just it… it was perfect, everything last night was… was _perfect_ … and amazing and wonderful and you… y-you… I-I don't deserve…" choking on my words, I let myself be pulled into a hug and he cooed soft words- words I didn't, couldn't, hear- kissing my head, my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips again.

I could've spent all day kissing him, but sadly, there was that pesky little thing called air, not to mention- someone whistled, loudly.

"It's about damn time, you two!" Bosin laughed loudly, and I jerked away from Suri as if his touch had burned me, my face as red as an Earthen Rose. Gio and Wynd was with him and I tensed when I saw the smug grin from Gio as Wynd started talking excitedly about how _wonderful_ it was that Suri and I had finally accepted our feelings for one another and- wait, what?

"I'm glad you've finally decided to give your heart a break," Gio said, walking towards me and he stopped when he was an arms length away from me and my breath stuttered, "you deserve it, after everything."

Sniffling, I offered a shaky smile towards him and pulled him into a quick hug, one he tensed at, but accepted nonetheless. "Thanks… Gio. It means a lot to me that you're happy for me…" -because even though Gio and I are always at each other's throats, he was best friend if not anything else and he kept by my side throughout these four years and it meant everything to me to know he was okay with this- with my love for Suri and his love for me in return.

Pulling back from the hug, I grinned as I looked around at Suri's- at _our_ \- friends and I couldn't help but feel _happy_ for the first time in years. I laughed when Suri decided then to pick me up, spinning me around, and holding onto me tightly and I let my head fall against his shoulder, listening to their voices as Suri and Wynd joked around and Bosin and Gio argued about a bet.

Closing my eyes, I smiled as I found my thoughts turning, letting Suri's voice soothe my trembling heart and racing mind, thinking about how it all came to be this way. When I'd come to the farms and had finally met Suri, the love of my life- my heart and soul- my mate.


	5. Chapter Four

Four years was a long time, at least, it was for someone who'd spent thirteen on his own fighting for survival out in the desert- against humans, hunters, dragons, and other creatures that wanted to tear me apart for sport or food or because they saw me as a threat. Four years since I finally found my home on the Corophy Dragon Farms and since then, a lot had happened- between meeting new people, new dragons, trying to hide my identity, and then everyone finally figuring out exactly what I was.

.x.

 _I was terrified- excited too, of course, but still terrified- as I walked through the gates of the Corophy Dragon Farms, my new_ home _, or so the old woman, Yasma, had said to me. She'd told me how I'd love it, working here, and as I looked around- at the people and the dragons- I couldn't help but hope that she'd be right about that. But the second I landed my eyes on a tall man, with dark red hair and black eyes that looked like onyx- that strange, but pretty Earthen metal-like gemstone- that feeling of hope was replaced with fear and anxiety._

_And then he saw me, and his eyes narrowed, dark and hard as he looked me up and down and I subconsciously straightened my figure- I hated the fact that I was so small the moment he frowned at me, obviously not liking what he saw. Walking towards me, it took everything I had not to take a frightened step back, and he was so much taller when he was standing so close to me now._

_"You're the new recruit that Yasma sent me?" he asked, crossing his arms, his voice gruff and it was clear he was the one in charge._

_Nodding my head shakily, I clutched at the hem of my shirt, unsure what to think or do, so I went on automatic, "Y-yes sir."_

_Sighing, he shook his head before speaking up, uncrossing his arms, "Fine. You'll do, I suppose." he said and I bit at my lower lip, unable to help the little happy flutter of my heart when he said so. It was basically saying I had the job, and that pleased me to no end. "Suri! Get over here." the man suddenly shouted and I jumped at the sudden loudness of it, my sensitive ears hurting then, but I tried not to let it show._

_The pain was forgotten though, the second that I heard a set of footsteps coming closer and I jerked my head over, my eyes widening when I saw the boy that jogged over to us- he had to be a few years older than me, probably seventeen, maybe eighteen, and he had the prettiest blue-violet eyes that I'd ever seen. His hair was neat and brushed and the color of the night sky, and he was…_ gorgeous _. It had a part of me that I'd kept hidden from humans stirring, a low rumble- nearly resembling a purr, though I'd deny that till the day I die- rising from my chest and immediately blushed, the heat crawling up my cheeks faster than I could manage to push it back._

Mate _…_

 _That word though was what did me in and I couldn't get rid of the feeling, no matter how hard I tried. Because though I was only fifteen myself, I was still a dragon and dragons had primal instincts- instincts that led one to search for years, if necessary, for that one special dragon to call their mate. And he… this_ boy _… was it._

 _I just_ knew _it._

_But I also knew it could never happen. Because if he were to ever find out… well… I'd be thrown out of his life and out of the farms faster than one could say 'Nightwing'._

_His voice- like pure honey to my ears- drew me from my depressing thoughts and my heart sped up when I heard it, "Diro," he huffed out, sounding annoyed, and I tilted my head at that- how could anyone speak to their boss like that without getting into trouble? "I was working with Spire and Coster before you interrupted us."_

_Diro narrowed his eyes at the boy- at_ Suri _\- before answering, "The rookie and her dragon can wait. We've a new recruit and I need you to show him around the farms, tell him exactly what we do here. I'll assign him a room later, tonight."_

_Suri then turned to look at me and my mouth felt dry when I saw him smirk, looking me up and down, "Oh? Yeah, sure thing. Come on then, cutie," he said with a grin and the blush on my cheeks darkened, but before I could stutter something out, he was already turning and walking away, towards a large wooden and metal building stood. "The name is Suri Killian, but I guess you already knew that, huh?" he chuckled then and turned to look back at me again. "What's your name?"_

_"M-my name? O-oh, uh, i-it's uhm… K-Kylon…" I answered, frowning when I thought about making up a last name, one I didn't have, but then decided against it when he grinned at me in answer._

_"Cute name for a cutie like you," he replied and I swear, the blush seemed permanent at this point._

_"T-thanks…?" I couldn't help but murmur in question, ducking my head to hide the blush and his only answer to that was a laugh, bright and beautiful and I smiled at the sound of it, very nearly purring once more._

.x.

_He showed me the stables, the bath houses- where I met Wynd and Bosin, who were working together to take care of Duna, a female Skyluna and Coster's sister- the watering hole- where I met Bimera and Marya- the edge of the forest, the feeding grounds, and the dining area- including the kitchens, where I met Gio. And everything was incredible, enough to make me forget my earlier anxiety and my heart soared as I took everything in, doing my best to memorize everyone's names and all the dragons I would help take care of._

_Afterwards, he showed me the cabin area, where everyone slept, where Diro met with us to tell me my new room would be with Suri- that was also when I found out he only had one bed._

_"O-only one bed…?" I questioned, a little anxious once more and Suri chuckled, nodding his head._

_"Yeah, but don't worry kid, Diro'll get another one soon, probably. He's not the best at keeping up with anything that isn't taking care of the dragons or his profit, though, so keep that in mind when it becomes apparent that he's forgotten or something." he told me and I managed a weak smile, keeping the hope alive that Diro would get a new bed for me, otherwise… I'd have to sleep on the floor to keep my secret from Suri._

_"Sure, okay…" I murmured, and then sighed before brightening when I remembered Diro had mentioned something about getting my own dragon companion. "Can we go to the stables now to meet the dragon I'm going to take care of from now on?" I asked him, eager and excited and he laughed, nodding his head in answer before taking my hand._

_"Come on then, I'm sure he's just as eager to meet you, too, you know?" Not even caring about our connected hands, I followed him back to the stables, where I looked around with wide eyes, nearly bouncing on the balls of my feet._

_"Which one is he?" I asked, bubbling with excitement and Suri smirked at me, before nodding his head outside the stables and back towards the bath houses._

_"He's waiting for you in the bath house," Suri said, and before he could say anything more, I was racing out of the stables and back towards the bath house- the large blue building almost bigger than the stables. "Hold up Kylon!" Suri laughed as he caught up to me and finally,_ finally _, he showed me my new companion and the sight of the beautiful golden dragon stole my breath._

_"H-he… he's gorgeous… H-he… he's a…?" I jerked my head back to stare at Suri with wide eyes and he grinned._

_"Yep. A Goldenwing. Beautiful, kind, smart, and he's got a tough spirit. The perfect partner for you, if I might say so myself." Blinking slowly at the implications of those words, I could barely think more of them before my attention was turned back towards the beautiful gold dragon, and I was still in awe when pretty blue eyes blinked open, meeting mine. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were twins!"_

_Flinching at that, I laughed nervously at the joke and shook my head. "H-ha…! R-right, n-no way… m-me? A dragon! I-in your dreams, m-maybe…" I stuttered out nervously and I could tell Suri was looking at me strangely- could feel the heat of his gaze at my back- but I ignored that for the moment when suddenly the dragon's head rose from his paws and I watched with wide eyes once more as he towered over me, and it felt like he was looking directly into my soul with those eyes of his._

"You smell like a dragon little human…" _the dragon suddenly growled and I froze in my spot, and I almost forgot to breath._ "Tell me, why is that?"

_I wanted so bad to answer him, but I couldn't. Not with Suri right there, right next to me. So I ignored him, as hard as it was to do so and tore my gaze away from his to turn back to Suri. "What… uh… w-what's his name?"_

_"He doesn't have a name yet," Suri answered, chuckling even as the dragon growled softly at being ignored and I felt a shiver run down my spine at the sheer power I heard behind the growl. "That's one of your tasks, as his new caretaker."_

_Grinning now, I chanced a glance back at the dragon and couldn't help the little bit of excitement I felt at that prospect. "Frayn." I told him- the dragon, but Suri didn't need to know that. "His name will be Frayn."_

_"Frayn…?" Suri questioned and I nodded slowly, meeting the dragon's- Frayn's- gaze head on. Not looking away now._

_"It… it means 'golden beauty' in my mother's language." I couldn't help the tiny bit of sadness that crept into my voice just then and the dragon bowed his head, closing his eyes as he understood what that meant._

_"Frayn it is then." Suri said, smiling at me and when I looked back at him, I smiled back, feeling the little flutter in my heart when I did. "I'll leave you alone with him now, get you acquainted with him and the like. I'll be back at the stables if you need me."_

_Nodding my head, I hummed, "Thank you… Suri…" I told him with a little blush and he grinned back before turning away and walking out of the bath house. When he was finally gone, I turned, nervous now, back towards the dragon- towards Frayn- and found his eyes once again on mine._ "I-I'm sorry…" _I told him, changing to my native tongue, to the one I was born with._

 _His head reared back in surprise, eyes widening only slightly before he growled again, lowering his head so it was level with mine._ "You're not human, are you?"

 _Frowning, I felt a slight tug at my heart because it was true- no matter how much I wished to be human…_ "No… I'm not." _I whispered, lowering my head and he made a noise in confusion before then making one in understanding._

"What is your name, little one?" _he asked and I smiled, grateful for the change in subject._

"Kylon… m-my name is Kylon. And… and I _hope_ we can become great friends, Frayn…" _I told him and he snorted in answer, but the twinkle in his eyes told me he didn't mind._

"I, as well, Kylon."

.x.

_After introductions were out of the way, I'd shown Frayn the kind of dragon I was, and though he'd been surprised at first about it, he had promised me he'd keep it a secret, who I was. Humans couldn't understand dragons, I knew, but that didn't mean I wasn't scared about what would happen if they did all find out._

_We explored the farms, though, and I met a lot of incredible dragons- including Haika, another beautiful Goldenwing, Draco, a gorgeous, but small white and blue Thunderclaw, and Remo, a dark green Dinoro with a fierce attitude. And when it was finally time for lunch, where I'd meet Suri at the feeding grounds, I led Frayn back to the stables, sneaking in so no humans had seen me._

_Changing back into my human form, I stretched out and yawned, before putting Frayn into his assigned stable._ "Thank you." _he told me, when I closed the large metal door and I frowned, looking up at him before tilting my head in confusion._

"For what?" _I asked._

"For walking around with me." _he answered as if it was the simplest thing ever and I smiled warmly back at him, reaching my hand out through the bars and he met my hand with his muzzle, bumping against it as my fingers brushed over his scales._

"I owe you thanks too, you know…" _I said and he made a small noise in confusion before I continued and added,_ "For being my friend."

"You're welcome, then, little dragon." _he said, smiling as best as a dragon could before laying his head down on his paws and he closed his eyes._ "I'm glad you're my friend as well." _he added, his voice soft and quiet and I grinned, my heart fluttering with happiness at that._

.x.

_"So… out with it." Suri grinned at me, nudging me in my side as I reached out to grab a plate and a few pieces of fish, "How was your first day at the farms? With Frayn? He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"_

_Laughing a little to myself, I grinned as I thought back to just how_ perfect _the day has been and I answered honestly, "It was wonderful, Suri!_ He _was wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a better friend."_

_Suri smiled warmly at that and reached out to ruffle my hair, ignoring the fact that I tried to swat his hand away, "Good. I'm glad." he answered and I blushed a little, but smiled back at him, pleased nonetheless._

.x.

_After lunch, I worked with Suri on a few other dragons- finally meeting Iloia, and finding out Suri was his primary caretaker like I was Frayn's now- and before I knew it, the three moons were shining high above our heads. "Alright, come on, it's time for bed now, Rookie." Suri called back to me after I put Milo away in his stall. The poor Winterfang had gotten into a scuffle with a larger, meaner Oakwing and almost didn't come out of it alive, so Suri and I had to take him to the healing center to get him right as new, even though he was obviously a little sore and still hurting._

_"Aw… but I'm not even tired." I frowned, turning to him to complain, but I knew he was right. I'd have to get up early, now, anyway, for this job, and I knew from experience that the position of the moons told me there was left than thirteen hours left of night and I'd already been up nearly thirty four hours._

_"No buts, I'm afraid," Suri smirked at me before pushing me away and out of the stables. "Bed now, Mister. You've an early start in the morning."_

_Letting Suri lead me back to our room, my momentary content was broken when I remembered there was only one bed. But it turned out an easy task- because even though he would insist I sleep in the bed with him, he was an incredibly heavy sleeper- and all I had to do was wait for him to fall asleep before sliding out of the bed and onto the floor, where I shifted into my dragon form and curled up comfortably on the floor- despite the floor being made of hard stone._

_I was always awake before him though, never letting him even close to discovering my secret- until one night I'd been too exhausted to wake up before him._

_"Fucking hell!" Suri cursed and my eyes snapped wide open, my ears alert as I jerked my head up. It was only too late to realize there wasn't any actual danger, and that Suri was staring directly at me, his eyes wide and full of fear and disbelief. "Dragon! I've got a fucking_ dragon _in my room! Shit! Where's Kylon!?"_

 _Flinching back, I scrambled up and immediately darted towards the cabin door, but Suri was just that tiny bit faster than I was, and he tackled me to the ground, nearly crushing my wings in the process and I roared out in pain- my wings were the most sensitive part of me, aside from my ears, but that's another topic for another time._ "G-get off of me! Y-you're crushing me!" _I cried out, pleading, but I_ knew _humans couldn't understand us- so then_ why _did Suri just suddenly back off like he was burnt?_

 _"_ Fuck _! You can_ talk _!?" he asked, his voice hard and frustrated confusion colored it, along with disbelief, but I was just as every bit of confused as he was._

 _I jerked my head back to look at him, eyes wide,_ "Y-you can understand me…? B-but _how_ …? N-no human can understand the dragon tongue…! I-it's impossible!" _I ranted, scrambling to get up again, my no doubt fractured wings fluttering painfully and I whined._ "S-Suri…"

 _"H-how do you know my name? Answer me damn it!"_ _he snapped and grabbed a knife from the nightstand and I trembled with fear._

"I-it's me…" _I finally answered, backing away and into a corner as he crept closer, the intent clear on his face. For someone that worked on a dragon farm, he didn't seem to friendly towards me- but then again, he did wake up, find me, and it's no surprise he must've thought I was an intruder and I'm a foreign dragon. A stray in his eyes. A wild beast. A monster._ "K-Kylon…" _my name was whispered from my lips, a broken sound and he froze, blue-violet eyes impossibly wide as his hand trembled visibly._

 _"I-Impossible. K-Kylon's a_ human _, you're a_ dragon _! You're lying!" he snarled and I whimpered again, shaking my head sharply._

"I-I'm not! I swear! I-I'm not! I-it's me! I-I'm Kylon! P-please! Suri, it's m-me! K-Kylon!" _I shouted, pleading for him to believe me and he growled, though he did lower the knife._

 _"Prove it." he ordered, not giving an inch and I choked on my breath, because that was the last thing I wanted to do. If he saw… if he_ knew _, really_ knew _… I knew the expression that would be on his face- disgust, fear, disbelief, anger. I've seen it all before, on several humans before him, so why should he be any different? "Prove it!" he suddenly shouted and I flinched back before nodding, deflating in defeat as I knew I had no choice now._

"O-okay… okay…" _I whispered, closing my eyes tightly as I pulled my wings in tight, ignoring the pain, and I shifted- from dragon to human- and stood shakily, clutching tightly at one arm. I lowered my head, hiding my face and the tears, biting my lower lip to keep in the sobs I knew wanted to escape, but it was useless at that point._

_I finally found a home that I could actually belong in… and then I fuck it up._

_"I-I'm sorry… I-I'm so sorry…" I choked on my voice and heard his sharp intake of breath._

_"Oh Gods… y-you really are a dragon… y-you, Kylon… You're… you really are…" his voice trembled and shook, but I refused to look at his face, refused to see the disgust that was no doubt there._

_"I-I'm sorry! P-please! I-I won't shift again! I-I promise! Y-you can't tell Diro! H-he'll throw me back out into the desert! I-I can't go back… I-I_ can't _…" my voice broke there, and I fell to the ground, my back against the wall, and I cried, unable to keep the emotions in any longer. "P-please let me stay…?"_

_I never got an answer from him that night, but with each day that passed, I was still working at the farms. My secret was safe with Suri, and that, more than anything else, meant the world to me._

_Unfortunately, my secret didn't stay a secret for much longer- my temper got the best of me, a few months later, during what was to be the first of several fights with Diro._

_"What do you_ mean _you have to get rid of Remo's hatchlings!?" I snapped at him, feeling the familiar heat rise from my chest to my throat as I growled, dangerous and low. It nearly escaped my attention the eyes that were witnessing the scene- eyes that included Suri's and Gio's- but I hardly cared in that moment._

_"They're weak. They'll never survive long enough to become adults." he spoke, his tone calm but dangerous, his arms crossed as he dared me to challenge his orders. A challenge I was unable to say no to._

_"They won't survive if you throw them out into the wild to fend for themselves! They'll be eaten by Lictites!" I clenched my fists when all he did was stare at me, unimpressed._

_"That is not our concern." he said and I just… snapped._

_"The hell it ain't!" Fire accompanied my vicious words and Diro jumped back and away, eyes wide with shock and just a hint of fear. It was only after I heard the several gasps, cries of fear and surprise and disbelief, and the shouts of anger, that I realized what I'd just done. "O-oh Gods…" I trembled slightly, my hands flying over my mouth, before I suddenly turned and I ran, back towards the cabins and away from everyone else._

_"Kylon!" Suri's voice the only one calling after me._

.x.

I had been so scared- petrified and horrified at myself for losing my temper like that. But in the end, everything had turned out alright- Suri and Gio spoke to Diro on my behalf, and Wynd, Bimera, and Bosin backed them up. I was allowed to stay and Diro had even kept Remo's hatchlings and now the little Dinoro's were strong, healthy adults- trained by me, because I'd promised myself and Remo that I'd prove Diro wrong. And I did.

I can still hear Suri's voice though, the night he told me just how important I was to the farms.

.x.

 _"When you first walked through those gates, I couldn't believe that Diro had agreed to let you, such a little thing, a clumsy little colt- that's why he calls you that, you know?- work under him. But then… then I got to know you, and little by little, I could see how amazing you were, and how great you were becoming. You're amazing with these dragons, Kylon… and I didn't understand how or why they'd taken so well to you until… until I found out. And… I'll admit, I'd been scared and I didn't know how to react. But I get it now, I do, why you had to hide. And I'm_ glad _I was the first to find out, because to know you trusted me with a secret that huge, even if it was involuntarily, it was a great feeling. So Kylon, dragon or not, I've never been more glad to call you my friend. The farms need you, I can see that now, and one day, I_ know _we'll become even greater with you at our side. Whether Diro sees that or not."_

_"...thank you… Suri."_


	6. Chapter Five

The day had been slow and long and every time I'd seen Diro, I was that much closer to losing my control. What he'd done to Frayn was still a vivid image painted in my mind and I had front row seats to watch it on replay. But it was over now, and I was free for at least fifteen hours until I had to see him again.

Laying on the bed in a pair of night pants and one of Suri's comfortable shirts, my onecklace was again on the nightstand and I was waiting ever so patiently for my mate- the term was debatable, since I was absolutely positive Suri didn't know what it meant to be in a relationship with a dragon, but my inner dragon refused to call him anything other than that- to come back. He'd had to go out and do something for Bimera and had told me to wait, so wait I did.

Smiling though, I thought back onto what happened earlier that morning- everyone had been so shocked, aside from Gio, Wynd, Bosin, and Bimera, of course, to learn that Suri and I were indeed together now. It was… _thrilling_ … knowing that's what it was- that Suri and I were a couple, an item, so humans called it. He loves me, and I wouldn't ever doubt that again- perhaps just as much as I loved him, and there was definitely no denying that.

It made my heart flutter, to know that I could finally call him mine and I wasn't going to deny now the little purr that built up in the back of my throat at the thought.

"You're purring." Suri smirked when I jerked up, eyes wide at being caught doing such a- natural, of course, but still- embarrassing thing. "You sure you're a dragon and not a cat?" The flush of embarrassment was soon morphed into anger as I glared at him, settling back onto the bed and turning away from him with a huff, the purr stuck in my throat still. "Aw, come now Kylon, don't be that way." I heard the door closed and huffed again, curling in on myself when I felt the bed dip on the other side. "I don't mean to upset you."

"Rol (Jerk)…" I muttered, barely biting back a smile when I heard him chuckle.

"And what lovely word would that be?" he questioned, resting a hand on shoulder and I couldn't help the smile then when I turned onto my back, looking at him with a bit of amusement.

"It means 'jerk'…" I told him and he smirked, his blue-violet eyes twinkling with laughter.

"Is that so? I don't think that quite fits, you know?" Frowning now, I watched as he tilted his head in mock-thought, his eyes never leaving mine. "How do you say… my love? My _heart_ , even?" Blinking in surprise at that, I felt my cheeks heat up and I swallowed hard, but nodded as I answered him honestly, knowing the words by heart.

"Ve'n means 'my'… a-and love is 'nich'. Heart… Amia means 'heart'." I said and he smiled, shifting his weight so he was settled easily on the bed, his legs crossed and he looked happy, _relaxed_ , and it helped me relax just a little, despite the conversation.

"Show me. I want to hear you say those words." he said and I nodded my head, stuttering out a tiny 'okay' before licking my lips, my mouth suddenly dry.

"V-Ve'n nich (M-my love)… ve'n a-amia (my h-heart)…"

"Such beautiful words… I love hearing them from you, they sound like honey and silk." he laughed- a loving sound- when I felt my cheeks flush with heat in embarrassment from the words, spoken as if they were words spoken in casual conversation. "Tell me, Kylon… if I were to ask you to teach me to speak your language… what would your answer be?"

My eyes widened and I swore I couldn't breath, speechless, "Y-you… you w-want to… want to l-learn Don...Dondasu…?" I could feel tears gather in my eyes when he nodded in answer and I finally took in a shaky breath. "C-Con… I-I… y-yes, con means… 'yes'." I stuttered out and he grinned, bright and easy, and laughed again before pulling me up and into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Ve'n… ve'n nich…" it filled me with warmth when he spoke the words, though they were slightly off with the pronunciation, but I loved that he wanted to try- to try to learn my language, the one my mother had taught me as a hatchling. "Kylon… tell me, how…" he paused and let out a shaky breath, catching my attention, before continuing, "how do I say… 'I love you'?"

Trembling with happiness, I clutched tightly at him and could barely keep the smile from my lips as I whispered the words to him, "Be ichi…" I said, the tears falling now as I listened to those words being whispered back to me.

"Be ichi…" he smiled when I nodded and continued, "Be ichi, Kylon… ve'n nich. Ve'n amia. Ve'n… ve'n…" he paused then with a laugh and buried his face against my shoulder, "my _everything_."

"C-can I kiss you…?" I asked him, shy about this, but so in love with him that I couldn't help but ask. But I wanted the proof that I could do this, that he meant what he was saying. I wanted the proof that he was mine and I was his in return- I _needed_ it.

He groaned and pulled back, nodding his head sharply, "Gods, _yes_." he said before tilting his head down and stealing a kiss and this time chaste wasn't going to cover it, that much was very clear to me. "Come on now, let's get ready for bed."

I paused then and panicked for a moment, swallowing hard, "P-promise me you'll be here when I wake up…?" I pleaded, not wanting to relive the heartbreak I felt this morning when I'd woken up without him and I was relieved when he smiled sweetly and nodded, stealing another sweet little kiss before answering.

"I promise, my sweet little dragon. I'll be here, in your arms, come morning."

Pleased with that, I let him lay us down, feeling as he curled his arms around me and I snuggled into his chest, content for once. "Thank you…"

"Be ichi, little dragon…" Suri whispered and I couldn't have care less in that moment when I purred in answer, nuzzling against him.

"Be ichi, no (I love you, too)… Suri."

.x.

The screams of humans and the feral roars of dragons was what woke me up the next morning and I jolted up, eyes wide and muscles tense. It took me several minutes to realize it was all in my head- to realize that it was all in my past and nothing but a nightmare anymore- and several more to realize Suri was right next to me, speaking frantic words because I was hyperventilating, panicking from the phantom scream and the smell of smoke and blood still vivid to me.

"Ky- 'mon… 's okay- 'afe… 're safe… I'm here…" Suri's voice registered in my mind and I immediately latched onto it for comfort, grounding myself as I closed my eyes tightly and forced myself to calm down. "Will you tell me what your nightmare was about?" he asked, voice nothing but a whisper and I let out a shaky breath before shaking my head.

"It… it doesn't matter…" I told him, finally meeting his eyes for a brief second before looking away and I made to get out of the bed and get ready for the new day. "It's all in the past now anyway…" I added and he sighed, following after me and before I could pull on a clean shirt, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed my shoulder.

"I'm here, you know, if you ever need me…" it was a plea as well as an offer of comfort- it told me that he needed this as much as I did- and I smiled, turning in his arms and leaning up for a small kiss. It said that I understood and it was a 'thank you' and an 'I love you' wrapped up in one simple gesture. Pulling away, I turned back to continue getting dressed and he chuckled when I did, "I'll go get us some breakfast and we can eat at the watering hole, how does that sound?" he asked and I grinned back at him, my heart fluttering happily at the thought.

"That sounds perfect, Suri," I said and he grinned back in answer before turning away and he walked towards the cabin door. We only realized too late our plans for the day would be destroyed when Suri opened the door and the sharp breath he took in told me exactly who was at it.

"Diro." Suri spoke, his voice hard, and Diro snorted, a sign that I knew he had rolled his eyes at how Suri had greeted him.

"I've got an assignment for Kylon. Have the colt dressed and out at the farm gates in twenty minutes." That was all he said and I frowned when Suri stood in silence for a few moments, eyes hard and dark as he watched Diro leave- if the old man's fading footsteps were anything to go by. Turning fully towards him, I barely spared a moment to grab my necklace, though I didn't put it on just yet, I walked over to him and gently touched his arm, feeling more than seeing him relax with it.

"It's… it's okay. I can… I mean… I-I'm okay…" I whispered, trying to convince myself as much as him.

"You're not…" he bit out, turning to me with a hard, calculated look and I grimaced, turning to look down at the cold, stone ground beneath our feet. "Do you think I haven't noticed how hard you've tried avoiding him? How everytime you ever caught a glimpse of him, you've growled… _growled_ , Kylon. I swear, the second he says something wrong you're going to do more damage to him than he's done to you." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "It won't be a close call like when the first time you fought… over Remo's hatchlings. Kylon-"

"No." I frowned, cutting him off. "I get it, okay? I do. But… I-I can _do_ this… if… if maybe…" I paused and took in a shaky breath before letting it out and he lifted my chin with two fingers, looking just a tiny bit concerned when his eyes met mine.

"If what?"

"If… you'll… come with me. If you'll maybe be by my side the whole time, I can do it. I won't lose my temper… I-I promise. J-just… I-I want you to be there…" I trailed off then and he let out a breathy chuckle before pulling me into another hug.

"Okay," he said, nodding his head, "I'll come with you. Every step of the way, I'll be right by your side. _I_ promise you that." Satisfied with that, I smiled and pulled back from the hug before lifting my hands up and presenting him the necklace and he smiled warmly, turning me around gently with a silent command. I closed my eyes and felt the light weight of the feathers, the beads, the stones, and the grass against my neck and let out a slow, relaxed breath. "Now… let's go see what Diro could possibly want from my beautiful little dragon, shall we?"

Twenty minutes wasn't so long when you thought about it in terms of how long the days are on Hiro, but it was long enough for me to get antsy.

We were at the gate before even Diro arrived and my temper was starting to flare with my nerves, something Suri tried his best to calm, and though it helped, it didn't stop the little growl that came from me when we finally saw Diro. He still looked indifferent- just as he always does- and it irked me. But Suri's hand in my own stopped me from actually doing anything I'd regret- whether or not I wasn't convinced if I would regret it later at all.

"What is the assignment you need me for?" I questioned, my voice stiff but I tried to be as civilized as I could.

"I need you to deliver a package to Demix." I froze, unable to help my reaction to hearing that name. "It contains a unique medicine Aris- the owner of the Demix Dragon Farms- she needs for one of her dragons."

I couldn't reply, I just _couldn't_ , because Demix was a name I hadn't heard in _years_ and the last time I heard of Demix- the last time I _saw_ the city- it had been the worst year of my life. But it turned out, I didn't need to- Diro handed me a small leather satchel that probably carried the aforementioned medicine that Aris- I think that was her name- needed. When I took the bag, it was an automatic response and I clutched it tightly in my hands as I watched Diro leave, apparently done with briefing me on my assignment.

"Demix is a city north of the Baku River," Suri sighed, finally turning away from Diro, but I hardly noticed, "and it will take a little less than a day to get there and return back home. I'm sure- what…? Kylon…? Kylon, what's wrong?" I flinched away when he reached out to grab my shoulder and then grimaced when I realized what I'd done.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I said, on automatic once more, but quickly shook my head to try, in vain, to get rid of the vivid images inside my head- ones from my nightmare, as well. "I know where Demix is… it's one of the only well known cities in the Sulara Desert." My voice was bitter now, but while I knew Suri would notice, I didn't care.

"You know," he started, reaching out and grabbing my chin with one hand, and he forced me to meet his eyes with my own, "you are a truly _terrible_ liar." Closing my eyes, I tried to pretend that I didn't hear the hurt and disappointment in his tone, because for once, I didn't want to tell him the truth. Because if he really knew what happened in my past… I was just glad the scars had faded, over time, leaving only the painful memory of it all behind.

"No… you're just the only person that can read me like an open book…" I argued and turned my head away, tugging it- gently- from his hand. "Come on, we should get going-"

"Kylon… I can't go with you." Suri said, frowning again and I snapped my head back towards him, eyes wide and fearful.

"W-what?"

"Diro's already given me a handful of tasks I need to take care, as well as the list of your duties for today. I'm sorry, I-" he sounded honestly sorry for what he was saying, but the panic was like ice gripping my heart. "Kylon… look at me." his voice was stern, but gentle, and I shook my head sharply, before he continued. "You'll be okay out there, I promise you that. Because as long as you wear this necklace, I'll be with you by your side, step by step." He fingered the feathers of my necklace and I swallowed hard, looking back at him, willing the tears not to fall.

"What if… what if something happens…?" I asked him, my voice breaking and he moved his hand to my cheek, brushing his thumb over my skin in a loving, protective gesture.

"Nothing will. You'll make it to Denix, save that poor dragon from illness, and come home a hero."

"But-"

"-but nothing." he grinned then and ducked his head so his eyes were level with mine. "I'll make you a deal though- if you're not back home within thirty hours, I'll personally come and get you, no matter where you are. Damn my duties- you're more important to me than they are, anyway." Letting out a breathless laugh, my memories were momentarily hidden in the dark as I nodded, accepting that deal and sealing it with a kiss- a desperate thing, but it helped me relax just a little in the face of the terrifying journey ahead of me.

"I'm holding you to that, Suri Killian…"


	7. Chapter Six

The Sulara Desert was a massive desert that spanned across five whole countries- Il'uma, being one of them, the country I live in- and resides in the northern most region of the one of the southern continents- Ah'siit. It's easy to get lost or turned around, especially if you were just a human without a compass, but I wasn't just a human and I wasn't without a map- an internal one, but a map nonetheless- so _why_ was it taking so damn long to reach Demix?

That answer is simple- currently, I'm human and will _not_ be shifting into my dragon for anytime soon. Because it was one thing getting me to agree to do this but it was a whole nother thing to get me to _shift_ in the middle of the fucking _desert_ where _hunters were everywhere_.

The sun was high in the sky above me, meaning I had already been gone nearly ten hours, a third of the time given to me and if I didn't reach Demix soon, Suri would be making his way into the desert without any protection from bandits, hunters, beasts, or _dragons_ \- rogue ones, of course, the most dangerous kind of dragon there is.

"He… he should have just come with me…" I growled out, mostly for the sake of having something to distract myself with, even though I knew part of the statement was because I _wanted_ him here beside me. I didn't want to be alone, because if I was alone, I had more of a risk of being caught than he did- because he wasn't a _dragon_.

Letting out a little sigh, I shook my head before letting my feet carry to a stop, looking out in the direction of the river, deciding it was time for a bit of a mid-day snack- lunch, I guess, but I was never good at keeping a regular schedule for eating, something Suri never failed to nag me about. But it was nice, despite the initial frustration of it all, because that meant he'd always cared- ever since I got to the farms he was always looking out for me in some way or another and even more so after he discovered exactly what I was.

Reaching the river, I grinned and licked my lips, eager for the fish I was about to eat. I managed to spot a few Phoenix catfish circling about in the water and made ready to catch them- something I haven't done in a while as a full human. I was only momentarily distracted by the fish, but when I finally caught a foreign scent spiking around me, I bristled and snapped my head up, alarmed when I caught sight of a large sand colored dragon- a Desert Fury- landing heavily on the other side of the river.

His scent was overpowering and I immediately knew why, _"You smell like a dragon… but look like a human."_ he growled and I shivered at the tone, wondering briefly if I should risk shifting now and fending him off. _"Answer me why and I'll let you know if I decide whether you're going to be my snack… or my_ mate _…"_

Immediately growling back, I couldn't help the anger that roiled in my chest at hearing that, _"I already have a mate, back off!"_ I hissed and he reeled back, yellow eyes wide before they narrowed and he grinned, showing several sharp white teeth.

 _"You don't smell claimed… so by laws of the desert sands, I'm free to take you as my own."_ he let out a low rumbling laugh and stepped closer, prompting me to step back. _"Why don't you show me your true form, little one… and make this easier for me?"_

 _"You try anything and you'll be nothing but burnt ash on these desert sands."_ I warned him, but he ignored me, lowering his head and he very nearly touched me before I jumped back, stumbling only slightly before regaining my footing and I shifted, quick and easy. And within the next three seconds, I had launched myself from the ground and away from him, landing a lucky shot of fire to his right eye and he reared back with a loud roar of anger.

_"You bitch!"_

_"I_ warned _you… Kotsu!"_ I spat out the curse word before continuing in a darker tone, _"I said I already have a mate!"_ Before I could even blink, he launched at my, sharp claws stretched out and he managed to catch me in the flank before I dodged and shot a blast of black fire at his side, scorching his scales and nearly hitting his left wing.

 _"I will enjoy tearing you limb from limb!"_ he snarled, snapping his massive jaws at my tail and nearly catching the furred spade at the end. I dodged and ducked every snap of his jaws, every swipe of his claws, and every swing of his tail, jumping around the sanded territory and watching as his anger built. _"Enough!"_ he roared out before finally launching at me again and I howled in pain when he managed to clamp his jaws tight around my neck and I thrashed around, trying to get loose, the pain nearly unbearable.

When the edges of my sight was finally blurring, spots dancing before me, I felt his jaws loosen their hold on me before he let go with a sharp roar of agony and I fell limp, half in the water and half on the desert sand. I could barely keep my attention on one thing, but I saw from the corner of my eyes as he fell, with a hard thump against the ground that brought sand up all over the place. I only had one guess as to why, and before I passed out from the blood-loss, I saw _them_.

 _Hunters_ …

.x.

It had been seven years, nine months, thirteen days, and twenty six hours since I'd last been in Demix.

I could still hear the roars and the screams. I could still smell the smoke and the fire and the blood. And I could still _taste_ it all, including my own. But when I woke up, it was only too late that I realized everything- but the fire as the building had gone up in flames before I had escaped- was real and not just a dream, a _nightmare_ , anymore.

.x.

"Meal time!"

My eyes snapped wide open when I heard the voice, the familiar cackle afterwards sending fear reeling through my veins and turning my blood cold. Getting up, I very nearly crashed back to the ground when a wave of dizziness spiraled through me and blurred my vision, but I ignored it in favor and charging at the steel that made up the cage I was inside of. _"No! No, no, no, no,_ no _!"_ I roared out in anger and fear and pain, doing everything I could think of to get out, using my teeth, my claws, my fire, _everything_. But _nothing_ worked.

I was stuck. Caged like an animal. Back in Demix. In the _coliseum_.

 _"Hey, hey! Calm down kid! It's okay-"_ I jerked my head back and around, eyes narrowed when I heard the voice of the old dragon- a Blood Wyvern- beside me- his dark red scales scorched and marked with scars of all different kinds.

 _"No, it is_ not _okay! I was just captured by hunters because of a cocky brute of a dragon that couldn't take a hint and I'm in the worst place a dragon like me can be!"_ I snapped at him and he frowned in answer, his red eyes saying a thousand things that he could not and I turned away from him before trying to shift, _"I_ have _to get back home! I have to- argh!"_ Crying out in pain, I collapsed when it became apparent that shifting back into my human form wasn't going to work- and that meant only one thing.

They knew who I was- the men that captured me- and went to great lengths to make sure I couldn't escape again.

 _"I-I have to…"_ my voice broke here and I trembled as the images of my past flashed through my mind. _"I-I_ can't _go through this again…"_

 _"Again…?"_ the old dragon asked me but I turned my head away from him and he sighed softly in return, _"I'm sorry…"_

.x.

Raven.

That was the name the people had given me before and it was the name they'd kept after all these years. There was a new champion, obviously, but I didn't care about that- after everything I'd gone through, when I was only twelve, I just wanted to get out of here.

But when it came time for my first match, I was dragged from my cage, leashed to a steel rod, and drugged with something that made me weak and set fire to my nerves.

I had no choice then.

I was forced to play their cruel game once more- to fight and to kill for _their_ pleasure.

I could only hope that Suri was going to be able to find me in time.

.x.

"Welcome to the Demix Coliseum! Where yours truly provides many visitors such as yourselves the opportunity to bet and watch the many dragons we have compete for the Black Star Title! Which dragon do you think will survive today's battles?" I listened with a scowl as the man who ran the coliseum spoke, his words welcome to the humans that came to watch the fights, but poison to my own ears. "Let's welcome back a very special beastie that we'd managed to capture a little over eight hours ago! The Dragon of Legend! The Shadow of the Sulara Desert! Previous Black Star Champion nearly eight years ago… Raven, the Nightwing!"

Pushed into the massive ring under the dome that made the coliseum what it was, I growled darkly under my breath as I heard a mixture of cheers and taunts. I was not forgotten, like I had hoped I would be.

"And now, for Raven's opponent- the brave and fierce Winterfang, Star!" My attention was turned towards the gates on the far side of the arena and I watched as a beautiful, but small white dragon charged from it, her wings spread and a dangerous look in her silver eyes. The crowd's cheers were louder for her than for me, but I cared little for that detail.

She roared, loud in show, to signal her ready for the fight and I only growled in answer, refusing to submit as easily as the others- this was only my first fight this round, but I'd been through enough to know how these fights would go down. She was cocky, _too_ cocky, and that was her first mistake- she must've been a rookie in these fights, one with beginner's luck to survive this long, judging by the cheers in the crowd.

 _"I've never killed a Nightwing before…"_ she rumbled with a feral grin and I snarled back.

 _"And you're never going to,"_ I promised her and she only threw her head back in laughter in answer. Her grin was gone the second that the bells above and around us rang, signalling the start of the fight, and I took advantage of her momentary distraction from the bells and launched behind her, blasting her with a warning shot. _"I'm not going to fight you,_ Star _, and you're not going to make me!"_

She turned around swiftly and roared in mild anger at the dust and dirt that now covered her scales from the fire blast, and she twisted around, catching me in the shoulder with her claws before striking me with a hard blow of her tail before I could even react. _"You clearly don't know how this game works, Nightwing… see, the thing is, I fight you, you fight me to the best of your pathetic little ability, and then I_ kill _you and I win."_ Her second mistake was thinking I had never gone through this before- that I was like her, a rookie, in these fights.

 _"You're naive if you think that all of this is just a game… and more stupid than I thought if you honestly think you can kill me."_ I hissed at her, shaking off the blow and launching myself into the air, holding my weight weakly as I fired a couple more blasts at the ground at her feet. _"I know everything there is to these fights… one of us dies in the end and it won't be me. But I won't fight you, so give up!"_

The fights were the perfect distraction though, because I've been here for eight hours and before that, I'd spent ten hours in the desert- not to mention, the short few hours that was probably taken reaching Demix in the carriage the hunters rode. Together, that was more than twenty hours and I had a little over ten more before Suri could come and find me, _if_ he even can. Ten more hours I have to suffer through these fights and the memories and the pain that I had to relive.

Just ten more hours until I could finally go back home.

So lost in my thoughts, I didn't even have any time to dodge the funnel of bright white-blue fire coming at me and I roared out as the fire scorched my scales and burned my fur and feathers. Crashing to the ground, I whipped around to try and get rid of the searing pain in my right side and wing, before turning on Star with a dagger sharp gaze.

 _"I am losing my patience with you…"_ I told her and she growled back, letting out another blast of fire seconds before I managed to dodge it.

 _"Coward! Fight me, Raven! Fight me!"_ she roared and launched at me in her anger. That was her third mistake and I took full advantage of it as I rolled out of the way of her attack before launching myself- using my full weight and strength- at her side, tackling her into the dirt covered ground of the arena and digging my claws into her scales.

 _"My name is not Raven,"_ I snapped at her, jumping off of her the second the she tried bucking me off, before attacking her again, this time tearing at her left wing, _"it's Kylon! I am_ not _a coward!"_ I continued, over her cries of agony, clawing and tearing at her scales over and over. _"I did not want to fight you… but you left me no_ choice _."_ I finally finished, jumping off of her and stalking a few paces away, the cheers and roars of the crowd deafening in my ears.

 _"G-get back… here… I-I'm not done with y-you… N-Nightwing!"_ Star tried getting up, but I didn't even turn back towards her to know that she failed, the little thump against the ground enough of a tell for me to accept that she was finally defeated.

 _"No, maybe not. But_ I _am done with_ you. _"_ I said, sharp, in return, before limping back towards the gates, letting the humans beyond it leash me and lead me back to my cage.

.x.

The fights lasted hours, my only company for my tired, weakened body, the Wyvern- Choro- in the cage next to mine. He kept me grounded- for that I was thankful- as he told me stories of his adventures all across Hiro- from the Comah Mountains, his home, in Sebr'ahn to the Talo Icecaps in Lah'dri- and how he ended up here, in Il'uma and finally in Demix. And in return, I told him about my life- of the two years I spent as a hatchling under the care of my family, my mother, to spending the next thirteen alone in the desert after my family was slaughtered like Earthen sheep, and finally to the four years I spent at the Corophy Dragon Farms- and about Suri- how we went from colleagues, to friends, and then finally, to lovers.

 _"This human of yours must be truly special to have captured your heart and your spark, little one,"_ Choro rumbled with a gentle smile and I sighed, resting my head on my paws.

 _"He's more than that… he… he's my… mate…"_ I grimaced a little and I wasn't truly surprised when the old dragon caught it, letting out a deep rumble of concern.

 _"Does he know this? That he means this much to you?"_ he asked and I shook my head, unable to lie to him- I didn't have the strength.

_"He won't understand. He's human… not a dragon. Humans don't mate for life. They… they flirt, they sleep around, they date, they love, and they break up. And they repeat it all again. They don't mate… and I'm sure Suri won't understand what that means."_

_"So what you're saying is that if this human wants to leave, you'll let him, knowing full well that you won't be able to find another to give your spark to for as long as you live?"_ he sounded amused- concerned still, but amused- and I frowned at him, lifting my head so I could meet his eyes.

 _"I know that this sounds crazy, but Choro… I would give my life for Suri. I don't see why he'd have to do the same and I understand that. I'm not human and he's not a dragon. We- it… I… I understand that our relationship may not last."_ I told him and he hummed, nodding his head slowly.

 _"You're happy then, so long as he is, am I correct?"_ Nodding my head, I looked at him and he smiled, _"You're not the only one that has had troubles with love, young one. Trust me in this. And trust me,"_ he started and I perked my head up, knowing that whatever he was going to say- whatever advice he was going to give me- I would listen and take to heart, no matter what, _"you can never truly know what will happen in the future, especially when it comes to those you truly love. So tell him. Tell him how much he means to you,_ really _means to you, and see where it goes from there."_

 _"But what if he-"_ I tried to start, but he interrupted me with a shake of the head and spoke up, his voice wise but stern- almost like a father.

 _"There are many what if's, Kylon, but let me ask you this- what if he will understand? What if he loves you just enough to try? What if he will take your sentiments to heart and love you for all eternity as you will him? What will happen if he does, but you never told him, so he could never learn, never try, never_ know _?"_ Ducking my head, I let his words sink in before finally nodding my head and I sighed, _"Do you understand now?"_

 _"Yes… I understand."_ I whispered and finally looked back up at him with a smile. _"Thank you."_


	8. Chapter Seven

"...lo… Ky...n! Le- 'f me! Hey! Kylon!" Blinking my eyes open, it me a few moments to rid myself of the exhaustion I felt, my body weak and sore- they kept drugging me before every fight, making sure I couldn't shift back, and it was slowly taking its toll on me, both the drugs and the fights. As I woke up, my vision a little blurred and my mind a little numb, I was sure that it was playing tricks on me- I couldn't possibly be hearing Suri's voice. "Kylon!"

_"S-su…ri…?"_

"Back off, this area is off limits to civilians, got it?" there was an unfamiliar voice sneering at someone- at _Suri_ \- and then there was a metallic bang that sent several dragons into a panic.

"Don't tell me to back off, jack-ass, you have my dragon! My name is Suri Killian and you have _my_ Nightwing, Kylon." Suri snapped and I raised my head, frowning- there was no mistaking that I heard his voice that time.

"Ha! You're off your rockers, you are! That Nightwing is Demix property, don't you know? He ain't belong to nobody but us." the man retorted and I heard another bang, "Don't push me again, yeah? Or you'll find yourself in mighty trouble. And what's this about his name? It's Raven, or have you been living under a rock?"

" _What_ are you talking about?" Suri growled out and I shot upright, eyes wide now, looking out at the stable entrances.

 _"Suri…! Suri! You came!"_ I cried out, unbelievably happy as Suri's head turned towards my cage, and his eyes locked with mine.

"Kylon! Hold on Ky- I'll... hey!" Suri stumbled back when the man pushed him.

"I'll say it again, _mate_ , dragon's ours. Has been since eight years ago, before the bloody thing escaped." Immediately hearing this, I froze, and my eyes watered when I saw Suri's look of frustrated confusion mixed with annoyed curiosity. "Oh? You really didn't know, did you? Shame. Raven used to be a big star here in the coliseum. Won nearly every fight, killed dozens of dragons, and won us a real big profit, he did. Till the fire. Then when we cleared out all the dragons, we couldn't find him. Lucky our boys managed to find him by the river leading here."

"Bastard! He was coming from the Corophy Dragon Farms to deliver a package to Aris! He had a satchel on him! Find the satchel and you'll know I'm telling the truth- h-hey! Wait! What are you guys doing?" I turned, immediately upon seeing the look of fear in Suri's eyes to see two large men opening my cage, the steel leash in one of their hands and I growled at the one holding it, snapping my jaws at him, daring him to come closer.

It was only too late when I realized the other man had a needle- that held the drug that kept me from shifting- and I cried out when it pricked under my scales and into my skin, my vision blurred before it cleared. The leash was on me before I could react and I could barely register Suri's voice shouting- filled with anger and pain and fear- behind me, nor the several roars from the other dragons- Choro's included.

I was led to the arena for another fight and as the cheering and the roar of the crowd registered in my ears, so did the voice of the owner and announcer of the Demix Coliseum. "So comes another fight for our daring and dashing legend! Will he come out victorious like the rest? Or will his opponent finally be the one to take him down once and for all? Let's give it up for Ra'dul the Desert Fury!"

I was frozen as I watched Ra'dul- the dragon that got me into this mess- stalk into the arena, his heavy footsteps dragging up sand and dirt from the ground and causing little tremors to crawl through the ground and up my own spine. His eyes were narrowed and his wings were drawn tight, his fangs bared when his gaze- his right eye marred with the burns from my previous attack- met mine.

 _"Well, well, if it isn't the precious little Nightwing… oh how I will enjoy tearing you apart in front of hundreds. I may even have a little fun with you first, how does that sound?"_ his laugh was cruel and I shivered with the intensity of the words, fear running my blood cold like ice. _"You should have let me mark my claim, little Nightwing… I'm sure I could have made a better mate than the pitiful bastard you say you're with. Why… what kind of man leaves his_ bitch _unclaimed?"_

 _"E'koi (Enough)! I'll not let you talk about Suri that way!"_ I roared at him, despite the growing pain in my head and the burning I felt in my muscles. _"I warned you last time,_ Ra'dul _, and I'll warn you again! Try anything with me and you'll_ regret _it…"_ Before the bells even sounded, I launched at him, but he clearly saw it coming from a mile away, twisting his massive body around and swinging his tail at me like a stick to a ball, and I cried out as I crashed against the wall, the stone cracking under the force.

 _"You need to be taught a lesson…"_ he growled at me and I hissed back, the fire in my body channeling into my spark as I felt my throat heat up with anger and determination. _"Now be still and I promise this will only hurt a little-"_ cutting him off I shot a warning blast at his chest, I launched myself away from him and onto the other side of the arena. _"Argh! I should've killed you from the start!"_

The crowd became a distant thing in my head as I focused on the fight, rolling out of the way as he charged at me, but not quick enough to evade another swing of his tail. I evaded his claws and got in my own lucky shot to his flank with my jaws before jumping away, but not quick enough that my tail was out of the clear as he grabbed it- his teeth a sharp pain in the skin of my tail as he clamped on tight- and threw me against another wall.

 _"I never would have guessed you were a pretty little Nightwing when I'd seen you at the river… but now I get the pleasure of being the first and_ only _dragon to kill the dragon of legends! The Shadow of Sulara! I will be crowned king!"_ Ra'dul roared, crushing me with his weight, digging the claws of one massive paw into my back and crushing the bones of my wings, laughing at the sound of my cries. _"You are not so mighty now, are you? Let me tell you this once, little Nightwing… you should have taken my offer when you had the chance…"_

I could barely think, let alone concentrate on anything but the crushing agony of his claws, his weight on mine, and now his teeth at my neck, blending with the still healing wound he'd made just before we'd gotten caught by the hunters.

"...y...n…! ...o!"

Ra'dul dug his claws in deeper and I screamed, my wings surely broken now, useless.

"Ky…! ...igh… 'ck! ...lon!"

I tried to move, to do _anything_ , but I couldn't.

"...ylon!" And then suddenly the noise of the crowd faded back in and I felt like I could breath again, "Kylon! Kylon! _Please_! Please fight back! Don't do this! Don't give up! Fight back!"

 _"S-Su…r-ri…"_ Gritting my teeth, I let my blurred gaze travel across the crowd until I laid my eyes on Suri, his hands curled tight around the steel cage, standing on the ground level with desperation and fear and heartbreak in his eyes. _"S-suri!"_ I called out to him and that was when I noticed the tears crawling down his cheeks and I couldn't take it anymore. Letting out a deafening roar, I twisted around, forcing his claws and fangs out of my skin and I used my back legs to kick him away, giving every ounce of strength I had before rolling back onto my stomach, ignoring the sharp pain from my bloodied, broken, dirt covered wings. _"I will not be defeated! Not by hunters, not by the desert itself, and certainly not. By._ You _!"_

Ra'dul, taken by surprise, didn't have any time to get up and move out of the way as I shot blast after blast of black fire at him, scorching his scales, marring his skin, and tearing at his wings. One lucky shot even tore at the leather that enabled him flight, rendering his own wings as useless as my own, but I had one advantage, and that was my size. _"No!"_ he cried out in anger as I used my light weight and my small size- despite the searing pain- to climb up the steel-link cage that surrounded us. Launching myself from the cage, I hit his back with all my weight, digging my claws into his skin under his scales and latched on my own fangs into his neck, holding on tightly even as he thrashed around and rolled, trying to dislodge and crush me in the process.

It was several minutes later when he finally crashed to the ground and- despite all that he'd done, that he'd threatened to do- I let go just before I killed him, jumping off of him and stumbling to the ground.

 _"H-how…?"_ he rasped out, struggling to get up, but failing and I met his furious, broken gaze with my own.

 _"You… you underestimated my strength. And in the end, that and my faith, love, and loyalty to my mate- no matter what- is what brought you down."_ I told him, letting out a shaky breath as the announcer finally called the match, announcing me as the winner.

"Kylon! Kylon! No!" I struggled to stay awake as I heard Suri's frantic voice but in the end, it was useless.

.x.

When I woke up, the pain that exploded in my head was too much and I groaned, gritting my teeth as I rolled onto my side, freezing the second I realized three things. One, I was _human_ again; two, I could no longer hear the sound of dragons anywhere; and three, I was in a _bed_.

"Ky…?" Jerking my head around, snapping my eyes wide open, I felt my breath leave me and then come back with a force when I saw Suri, in the doorway of the room I was being kept in. "Oh _Gods_ , Kylon!" He rushed to my side and immediately pulled me into a tight hug, one that- despite the pain- I reciprocated just as tightly.

"S-Suri… Oh Gods, Suri… I-I'm so sorry!" I choked out, and my body trembled, the horror of the last day coming back to me in a flash. "I-I'm so-"

"No. _No_." Suri growled out, pulling back from the hug and glaring at me, causing me to flinch, before he softened his gaze and brushed the knuckles of his right hand against my cheek, "Don't you ever apologize for this… this was not your fault."

"Y-yes, it _was_. I _shifted_ , even though I knew not to! And I got _caught_!" Crying now, Suri pulled me back into the hug, rubbing gentle and comforting circles against my back and that caused pure white-hot agony to race across my spine. " _Fuck_!" I cried out, jerking away from the touch and he took his hand back, frowning now.

"I'm sorry Kylon… So sorry that you had to go through all of that, but you're okay now. You're _safe_ and I promise not to ever let you go again." Nodding my head, I just decided to agree with whatever he was saying, focusing on not getting the pain to flare up again. I perked up though and held my breath when I heard the door opening and a little growl was forced from my throat when I smelled a familiar scent.

"Suri," the woman said before frowning and I looked up, meeting her beautiful but deadly brown eyes. "...Kylon."

" _Mik…_ Mik… Jon a'o (Go away)..." I hissed at her and she sighed, as Suri tightened his grip around me, though obviously confused.

"Kylon, no, come on, this is Aris Denai, she helped me remove you from the coliseum-" Suri started but before he could finish, I butt in, eyes narrowed as her own closed in sadness. I wasn't fooled, I couldn't be, not after what she'd done. Not after-

"-she was the reason I got put in the coliseum in the first place, eight years ago!" I spat and Suri stiffened up before turning his attention to the woman, to Aris.

"What… what is he talking about?" he asked and she sighed again, closing the door behind her before moving to sit over by a chair that was placed near one of the windows in the room, just a few feet from the bed.

"It is… true, I'm afraid." she answered and I snorted, kept from retorting by Suri's hand gently brushing through my hair, calming my temper. "See, I used to be a hunter, when I was younger and nine years ago, I was out with my partners in the desert, north of here, near the Noran Mountain's base. Kylon… he was a little thing, but big enough that, well… my partners and I thought he'd be a great addition to the coliseum. Imagine, a Nightwing in the fights… we'd be richer than than the King of Isala. But, after a few months, things took a turn for the worse and…"

"I nearly went _feral_ …" I growled out, trembling with barely kept anger as the memories of those few months tore through my mind. "I was put through _torture_ at the age of twelve… and I couldn't handle it. The anger, the fear, the pain… I let it consume me and I burned the coliseum down and barely escaped with my life."

"Oh… Kylon… Kylon, I'm so sorry…" Suri whispered, sighing softly as he pulled me into a gentler hug and I sighed, the exhaustion making itself known now. "I wish I'd been here sooner…"

"I… if I had known they'd brought you back… Kylon I-" Aris started but I only shook my head at her. She sighed and stood up, finally, before nodding her head in defeat, "I'm sorry. I'll have a carriage waiting for you… as an apology for what you've gone through- and thanks for bringing me and Ula the medicine she needed."

Closing my eyes, I listened as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, before finally relaxing. "My sweet, brave little dragon…" Suri whispered, brushing my hair back from my eyes when he pulled away from the hug and then pulled me into a sweet little kiss- barely a brush of the lips, but filled with so much love and guilt. "I'm sorry…"

"Can we… just go home now?" I asked in a whisper and he cracked a smile, nodding his head.

"Of course. Get some rest, though, little dragon, and when you wake up, we'll already be halfway home. I promise."

Smiling softly, I allowed myself to believe that promise and finally let the exhaustion pull me into the darkness, trusting Suri. My _mate_.


	9. Epilogue

Six months, two weeks, six days, and fourteen hours was how long it took for my wings to heal and my wounds to mend. I was on bed rest for two of those months and for several weeks after I couldn't shift into my dragon form without it hurting. Suri took care of me all of that time and with his help, and the help of my friends, I recovered.

In that time, I'd been offered a new dragon by Diro, but I'd refused, simply happy with taking care of any dragon that needed me. When I finally could though, I'd made good on my promise and set Haika free, so she could finally live her life and move on. I knew it would be tough for her, without Frayn, her mate, but I knew all she needed was time and freedom to finally be happy again.

And though I, myself, was back to living a happy life on the farm… something was still _missing_.

I just... didn't know _what_.

.x.

The moons were shining high above my head as I sat at the watering hole, a little smile on my face, making odd little patterns in the water in front of me. I was waiting for Suri to meet me here, as I told Gio earlier to tell him so, and enjoyed a bit of peace and quiet before he did. It was nice of course, but I wasn't so sure I wanted it anymore.

Four years, nearly five, at the farms, and I was ready to be done with the place.

"Sui drako (Little dragon)..." Suri's been taking a few lessons from me, over the past few months, and he was getting better and it warmed my heart that he spoke more often now, in Dondasu, than English. "There you are… I've been looking for you everywhere since Gio said you had something important to tell me. I-"

"You know I love you right?" I spoke up, interrupting him and he paused, frowning a little- I saw his reflection in the water as he stood next to me, over it- before deciding to finally sit down on the ground at my side.

"Of course, what's this about, Kylon?" he questioned, resting a hand on my right knee, and I hummed in return, staring up at the night sky instead of the water now.

"And… you know I want you to be happy?" I asked, instead of answering his question, and I knew it was frustrating him, what I was doing, but I had to know before I asked him the most important question of my life.

"Kylon… you're scaring me…" he whispered in answer and I blinked, frowning as I turned my head down to meet his worried eyes. I deflated a little before smiling and I raised a hand to bring it up to his cheek, pulling him in for a gentle kiss.

"Don't be…" I told him, before frowning again, in all seriousness. "I… I need to ask you a question. And it's probably the most important question of my life and-"

"Are you going to propose to me, Kylon?" Suri asked with a teasing grin and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks, the frown still on my face though.

"W-well… _yes_." Suri frowned now, confusion filling his gaze, along with surprise and slight hesitation. The hesitation is what made me push on, because I needed to say this before he could do anything in return. "I-I know some of the customs humans have… they date of course but when they truly love someone, they marry them. I… but I'm not human. And the thing is… I… w-well, I-I mean… Suri… d-do you know what it means when a dragon mates?" I asked him, swallowing hard as I tried to get the words out and he raised an eyebrow in question, telling me that, no, he didn't. Which was surprising, considering how much he knew about dragons in the first place. "Okay… I… w-well, you see… when a dragon finds another that they love- unconditionally- they choose that other to be their mate- to give their love, their heart, their soul, and their spark to- and when a dragon mates… h-he… w-we mate for life."

"For… life?" Suri questioned, curious now and I nodded, looking down at the ground, but I refused to remove my hand, to keep contact for at least a little while longer. There was no telling if I'd ever be able to touch him again after I was done with this. "So… you're saying-?"

"I'm saying that I know the differences between human customs and dragon customs… and that I understand that you're not a dragon. Y-you don't know our rules… don't have to go by them, but… I-I thought maybe… I-I mean if you don't want, t-that's okay but…" rushing the words out, I couldn't help but get a little choked up and I tried to swallow again, but failed, trembling slightly until he brought a hand to my chin, lifting my head so I met his gaze and what I saw was pure, unconditional love.

"Ask me, Kylon," he said, no hesitance in his voice or his gaze at all and I let out a shaky breath.

"A-are you sure?" Rolling his eyes now, fondly, he chuckled and nodded his head, and I answered with a nervous grin. "O-okay… u-uhm, Suri…" clearing my throat, I swallowed again, this time a little more successfully, before continuing, straightening up a little, "will you… be my mate?"

He didn't even hesitate when he answered, quick and easy and light and _happy_ , "Con," he said and I grinned fully, wide and relieved and beyond happy as I tackled him with a hug. "Kylon… I love you. _You_. Now and forever. And I may be a human, but I'm an honest one. And I always keep my promises."

"Be ichi, Suri… ve'n nalu (my mate)."

"Be ichi, no, ve'n maiyu sui drako (my sweet little dragon)." Suri said back and I didn't even _care_ that I was purring now, holding onto him tightly. "Now, let me ask _you_ a question."

"Hm?"

"What would you say if I asked you if you wanted to start our own little farm?" he grinned when I snapped my head up, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief.

"R-really?" I asked and he nodded.

"The Black Star Tournament… turns out that you won. Aris gave me the gold that was supposed to go to the highest bidder as consolation for what you went through. I figure you and I can use that money to get out of here, start our own farm or something. You know… be free from everyone and everything else." He brushed his thumb against my cheek and I leaned into the touch, closing my eyes, my heart feeling as if it was going to burst with happiness.

"I… I would _love_ that… but… instead of a farm… how about a rescue center instead? We could find injured dragon and treat them, make them as good as new before releasing them back into the wild. Or we could start an academy! Where we could teach people about dragons and help the desert become a better place to live!" The ideas started flowing through my head, filled with excitement as I was and Suri laughed in answer.

"Why not both?" he asked, before adding, "What would we name it?"

Thinking long and hard about that as I looked down and back at the water, I smiled then, a sad little thing before turning to look back up at Suri. "Ber (The)… Ber Frit'a Amia... Rine Kilar." I said before repeating the words, this time in English. "The Golden Heart Rescue Center…"

Pulling me in for a kiss, it helped distract me a little from the sad memories of Frayn, the dragon I'd called my best friend, before pulling away and whispering, "It's _perfect_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Last edit, but remember guys, there's a sequel/series coming soon, so I hope you're excited! *grins*
> 
> Till next time, my doves~
> 
> ~ D.C. (Wolf)


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